McIlroy Grabs Early Lead at US Open

Rory McIlroy birdied two of his first three holes on Thursday to seize the early lead of the fog-hit US Open, while top-ranked Scottie Scheffler parred to began his bid for a career Grand Slam.
Both stars eventually made morning starts at Shinnecock after the first round was halted for two hours due to heavy fog, meaning that it is unlikely that it will be completed by sunset.
World No 2 McIlroy sank a tap-in par putt at the 10th hole, made an 11-foot (3.3m) birdie putt at the par-three 11th, and added a 25-foot birdie putt at the 12th to seize the lead on two-under.
Scheffler sank a three-footer for par at the first.
A field of 156 chased a record top prize of $4.5 million from a record $22.5 million purse.
Northern Ireland’s 46-year-old Graeme McDowell briefly shared the early lead. The 2010 US Open champion rolled in a 24-foot birdie putt at the 10th and sank a birdie putt at the par-three 11th from just inside nine feet but took a bogey at 13 after needing two shots to escape the left rough.
“Probably a little awkward in the morning because you’re up so early and I just want to go back to bed,” three-time major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland, the oldest player at 54, said of the delay.
“The wind has tamped down. We would actually love to play even if I couldn’t see where the ball is going. We just want to get out there. Everybody is anxious to get going and see what happens.”
The wind picked up, however, to help clear the fog and provide players with a major challenge over the 7 440-yard (6 800m) Long Island layout, where organisers kept green speeds below maximum and planned to water greens between waves to help the balls stay on the putting surfaces amid the gusting breezes.
McIlroy, a six-time major winner from Northern Ireland, whose only US Open title in 2011 at Congressional was his first major success.
He has finished in the top 10 at the US Open in six of the past seven years, with runner-up efforts in 2023 and 2024.