Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy had been amongst golfers making ready to make an early begin as Thursday’s first spherical of the 120th US Open started at Winged Foot.
After being postponed for 3 months because of the coronavirus pandemic that reshuffled the world golf schedule, the Open teed off because the second main of the 12 months and a part of a 2020-21 marketing campaign that began solely final week.
Two native US standouts, Brandon Wu off the primary tee and Daniel Balin off the 10th tee, hit the opening photographs of the event, performed with out spectators on the famed course in suburban Mamaroneck.
Reigning Masters champion Woods, a 15-time main winner, was set to start out within the eighth group off the primary tee alongside fellow Individuals Justin Thomas, the world quantity three and a 2017 PGA Championship winner, and fifth-ranked Collin Morikawa, who received his first main title in August’s PGA Championship.
“That is the toughest course I’ve performed,” Thomas mentioned.
World numbr 21 Woods has received a document 82 US PGA Tour titles, matching Sam Snead for the all-time document. He’s a three-time US Open champion, final successful the occasion in 2008 at Torrey Pines.
“It will be onerous,” Woods mentioned. “It will be troublesome it doesn’t matter what.”
Woods, 44, has struggled with again points and couldn’t qualify for the Tour Championship.
McIlroy, a four-time main winner from Northern Eire, tees off similtaneously Woods however from the 10th tee and alongside Australia’s Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, and England’s Justin Rose, the 2013 US Open winner.
“It is superior,” McIlroy mentioned of the structure. “Trying ahead to it.”
Fourth-ranked McIlroy, 31, received his first main title on the 2011 US Open however has not captured a significant victory because the 2014 PGA Championship.
World primary Dustin Johnson, coming off a victory within the US PGA Tour championship two weeks in the past, will begin at 1:16 p.m. (1716 GMT) off the primary tee alongside fellow Individuals Tony Finau and Bryson DeChambeau.
Johnson, 36, received his solely main title on the 2016 US Open at Oakmont however captured one other long-sought prize with the Tour Championship and the $15 million season factors bonus prize. He was second on the PGA final month, received a playoff occasion at TPC Boston and misplaced one other solely after second-ranked Jon Rahm sank a 66-foot birdie putt on the primary playoff gap.
– Mickelson’s heartbreak –
Spain’s Rahm will launch his run at a primary main crown within the group after Johnson, enjoying alongside England’s Paul Casey and US star Phil Mickelson, the 50-year-old left-hander who has a heartbreak historical past at Winged Foot.
Mickelson got here to the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot off wins on the 2005 PGA and 2006 Masters and led by a stroke on the closing tee on Sunday needing solely a par for victory.
As a substitute, Mickelson’s driver shot off the tee went left into a company hospitality tent, landed in trampled down grass and allowed him an opportunity to shoot for the inexperienced.
Mickelson took his likelihood however hit a tree and he then plugged his ball right into a greenside bunker on his third shot. Mickelson chipped over the inexperienced, missed his chip-in bogey try and handed the title to Australian Geoff Ogilvy.
Mickelson, who wants solely win the US Open to finish a profession Grand Slam, has settled for second place on the US Open a document six occasions.
Beginning within the group forward of Johnson is the defending champion, Gary Woodland, who performs alongside fellow American Andy Ogletree, the 2019 US Novice champion, and reigning British Open champion Shane Lowry of Eire.
This 12 months’s British Open was referred to as off because of the coronavirus outbreak whereas the Masters was postponed from April to November.
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