BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) — The idea that the US Open is open to everyone doesn’t stop with qualifying for the right to play golf’s toughest test.
Another day brought another surprise to the Country Club when Nick Hardy – technically the last player in the 156-man field – pieced together a 2-under 68 on Friday to share the lead with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler among the early starters .
It came a day after Adam Hadwin – who came on as a substitute just eight days before the start of the Championship – took the 18-hole lead.
That’s not unusual for a US Open, which a year ago had England’s Richard Bland in the mix.
“It couldn’t have been a better start,” said Hardy, who qualified for two U.S. Opens while playing at Illinois, where he was the Big Ten champion.
And it couldn’t have been a quicker outing for Phil Mickelson, who at least delighted the fans with some big birdies – 45ft on No. 5, nearly 60ft on No. 6 – who didn’t. helped only save a 73. He still missed the cut for the second time in three years at the US Open.
Next up is Oregon in two weeks for the next Saudi-backed LIV event.
Among the afternoon starters was another mix of contenders – two-time major champion Collin Morikawa and David Lingmerth, who secured his spot as a substitute US Open qualifier, set the pace for in the afternoon when reaching 5 cents.
At one point Lingmerth and Tarren Callum of England were at the top of the standings. Their combined world ranking: 908.
Rory McIlroy has proven that the US Open treats everyone equally, not always good news. He had to take three waist-high fescue hacks to get to the green, then putt 25 feet for a double bogey.
A potential bad weather warning instead brought hot sun and slightly stronger winds, so much so that the USGA began wetting the greens between morning and afternoon waves to prevent putting surfaces to get too fast.
Scheffler and his best friend and roommate this week, Sam Burns, ensured name recognition among early starters.
Scheffler made a pair of soft bogeys early in his round until he exploded on top as he tackled a deep eagle on the par-5 14th, adding one more birdie and posting a 67.
Scheffler and Hardy were 3 under 137, with Burns (67), Matt Fitzpatrick (70) and Hadwin (72) another stroke behind. Burns has three PGA Tour victories in the past nine months and moved up to No. 9 in the world.
“Two silly bogeys early in the round, but other than that I hit it really well,” Scheffler said. “I was on duty most of the day. If a few more putts had hit the rim, it would have been a really special day. But 3 under was a good score for me, especially 2 out of 6.”
There might have been cause for alarm at the start of his round, especially after Scheffler missed the cut of his previous major at the PGA Championship. Only the 25-year-old from Dallas doesn’t dwell on the past, and he spends even less time thinking about the future.
He’s got the game for any course – Scheffler has four wins this year, including the Masters – and his consistent demeanor suits the US Open particularly well.
Strange things can happen to this championship, and they have.
South Africa’s MJ Daffue started with four birdies from the front nine and became the first player to reach par 6 under for the US Open. Then the bogeys started coming, including one on the par-5 14th when he played a shot from the concession area.
His crazy day ended with a double bogey on the 18th. He came out in 32, came back in 40, and the good news was that Daffue was still under par.
Hadwin had two quick bogeys and was going the other way quickly. He opened with a 66 and was back tied for the tournament until birdies on the last two holes.
The PGA Tour released a video of Hardy reading a letter he wrote to his father as a child asking if they could play golf so he could get his handicap under 10 and maybe one day be famous. He’s on the PGA Tour now, a start. He’s in the mix at the US Open, a dream.
“That’s pretty cool,” Hardy said. “It’s always been my goal to play many US Opens and win US Opens, ever since I can remember. Just to be here now, I’m super grateful, super lucky to have this opportunity this weekend, and I feel like I’m ready for it.
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