A number of golf’s biggest names will be trying their best to recover after tough first rounds at the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
With the current cut projected at two-over on the firm and fast course, a number of golfers have struggled in the conditions.
That includes multiple former major champions, the reigning US Open champion, and all-time greats like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
LIV Golfer and six-time major winner Mickelson is near the bottom of the pecking order after carding a nine-over first round which included four straight bogeys to start his day.
Just behind him is Viktor Hovland, who bogeyed six times and double bogeyed twice to card an eight-over round in North Carolina.
Tiger Woods is two shots back of the projected cut line, with the golf legend at four-over
Things are going much worse for Phil Mickelson, who is at the back of the pack at nine-over
Two-time PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas isn’t faring much better after bogeying five holes on the back nine and finishing at seven-under with some serious work to do on Friday.
While those golfers have a long way uphill to climb, there are some that could still realistically find their way to safety on Friday.
In the crowd at four over includes Shane Lowry, Keegan Bradley, and Dustin Johnson.
But the biggest name among them at four-over is Tiger Woods. Woods began his round with a pair of bogeys before finishing the day with six in total – coupled with two birdies.
Finally, the golfers one shot back of the projected cut include major winner Justin Rose and reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark.
Justin Thomas carded five bogeys on the back nine to slide back to seven-over par
Reigning champion Wyndham Clark is within striking distance of the cut line at three-over
Clark managed two bogeys on both the front and the back nine, but saved himself from further damage with a birdie on the tenth.
Earlier in the week, Clark called the greens ‘extremely fast’ and bemoaned the conditions that he and his fellow golfers were facing.
He added, ‘If they get any firmer and faster, the greens, I mean, they’d be borderline. They already are borderline.’
Golfers currently sitting on the two-over line include Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and three-time major champion Jordan Spieth.
They’re a ways off from the leaders Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy – who are tied at the top with five-under par.
