Rory McIlroy Makes Fast Start At US Open

The 2011 US Open winner shot 68 and three under par in round one at Pebble Beach

Rory McIlroy Makes Fast Start At US Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 2011 US Open winner shot 68 and three under par in round one at Pebble Beach

Rory McIlroy Makes Fast Start At US Open

Rory McIlroy got off to a great start in round one of the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach, continuing from where he left off last week in Canada.

The four-time Major winner has missed his last three cuts at the US Open but this year he'll look to be challenging at the top, and today's round has helped him do just that.

Rory shot 68 on day one with four birdies and a single bogey for his lowest US Open round since his winning week in 2011.

He began on the tricky 10th hole and bogeyed after pulling his approach left into the greenside bunker, but was flawless from then in.

The Northern Irishman responded well with birdies at the par-4 13th and par-3 17th.

He then birdied the 2nd and 3rd to reach three under, before making a brilliant par save from off the green on the short 5th.

He parred his way in to sign for a 68, which left him two back of Rickie Fowler in the morning wave.

A positive start is just what the four-time Major winner was looking for this week, after telling media about a conversation he had with Johnny Miller at the inaugural US Open Champion's Dinner.

"I had a chat with Johnny Miller, and Johnny said, 'You look at the history of major championships, that first round is so important.'

"I said, I know. My first rounds at Augusta and Bethpage this year just sort of put me a little bit behind the eight ball. And it's hard to catch up. Especially, you know, major championships are played on the toughest courses, and you start to chase on those really tough courses, it's hard to do that.

"I think getting back to winning, the majors that I've won, I've started every single one of them really well, runs in sort of the mid-60s, and I think that's sort of what's held me back a little bit.

"If I can take that freedom that I played with on Saturday and Sunday last week and put that into tomorrow and play with that sort of freedom and get off to a good start, I'll be right -- hopefully right in the tournament from the get-go and stay there."

It isn't a mid-60s round from Rory but it isn't in the mid-70s like so many Majors in the past five years.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!

Elliott is currently playing:

Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV