| lily |
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| Joined: 22 Oct 2011 |
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Rory McIlroy made six birdies and not a single bogey to lead the first round of the U.S. Open by three shots over 2009 PGA Championship winner Y.E. Yang and Masters Champion Charl Schwartzel.
There's still a lot of golf between now and Sunday, but there's no denying McIlroy looks like the player most poised to break through on one of golf's biggest stages.
This is the third time in the last four majors McIlroy has held the first-round lead. And at this one, his first round at a Grand Slam since the meltdown at Augusta, he didn't look at all intimidated by either the moment or the long course at Congressional.
"I felt comfortable with my game and comfortable on the golf course," McIlroy said. "And when you have that combination like that, everything's OK."
He made putts from short and long range and strung together three straight birdies in the middle of his round. He went 18 holes without a bogey. He played Honma 904 Iron Set
in breezy conditions that weren't present in the morning, when Yang was shooting his 68 in calmer conditions. Rain that greeted the players early started again as McIlroy was heading to the ninth green—his last hole of the day—but there was no dampening this effort.
"I have to back it up tomorrow so I can go into the weekend in good position," he said.
Sergio Garcia, British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, American Ryan Palmer, Kim Kyung-tae and Scott Hend were tied for fourth at 2 under; a group of 10 finished another stroke back.
McIlroy beat the players in his featured afternoon threesome—Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson—by a combined 19 strokes with playing Honma 904 Iron Set
"I just need to keep it going," he said. "I played Honma 904 Iron Set
really good out there, didn't make any mistakes, which in a U.S. Open is huge. I'm looking forward to tomorrow."
When Yang captured the PGA, it marked the first time Woods failed to win after taking a lead into the last day of a major. Yang hasn't contended at a Grand Slam tournament since, but said Congressional fits his game better than most courses.
"I've been playing Honma 904 Iron Set
more conservatively," Yang said. "I'm trying to make more pars, less bogeys and I was lucky to make a few birdies."
The three members of the morning's marquee group—No. 1 Luke Donald (74), No. 2 Lee Westwood (75) and No. 3 Martin Kaymer (74)—combined for 17 bogeys and one double.
Meanwhile, Mickelson and Johnson were supposed to share the stage with McIlroy, but instead ended up as sideshows. |
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