Opening-round updates from golf's second major of 2014
The Joy of Six: US Open golf glory
And feel free to email scott.murray@theguardian.com
3.02pm ET
Furyk leaves himself a 40-footer for par with a needlessly conservative approach to 16. It's one thing taking your medicine when you're in the trees; not bothering to even make a token effort at scrambling an up and down another altogether. He's back to -1, and out of this compact leading group:
-3: Koepka (7)
-2: Na (F), McDowell (F), D Johnson (6), Walker (6)
2.54pm ET
Bubba's had a poor start. Three pars at the opening three holes, a bogey at 4, then a dismal three-putt on the par-five 5th, failing to read a putt with a massive 15-foot break, then missing the birdie effort. What a waste, he had of course boomed a huge drive down the track, leaving himself with an iron into that green. Mind you, there's poor, and there's poor. And then there's piss-poor. Luke Donald, like Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia*, is a player one suspects has missed the boat when it comes to the big prizes. He's just dropped his third stroke in three holes, and he's +3 for the tournament through his first five.
* Forget what I said in the intro, I was talking through the seat of my trousers.
2.48pm ET
Dustin pops his ball in the drop zone, then flips it over the bunker to three feet. That is a truly majestic shot. You don't get much respite in that drop zone. He pops the par putt in. What an escape. He remains at -2. Up on 16, Furyk has wanged his drive into the trees down the right of 16, and is forced to chip out, taking his medicine. Even then, he's got a job on, threading a shot through a baroque knot of trunks. But he manages it. Whether it's enough to save par on this lengthy par-four... well, that's unlikely. Better to accept rather than compound the error, though. A lesson in golf, a lesson in life.
2.41pm ET
Dustin Johnson brings plenty to the table, mind you, when it comes to old-fashioned fun. Here's his latest headflip, sending a five-iron miles right of the 6th green and near to the spectator stand. To add a cartoon flourish, the tee shot clatters into a greenside microphone, producing a loud D'OH! as the ball careers off towards bother. Don't ever change, Dustin, we love you.
2.37pm ET
I don't buy into this argument that majors without Tiger Woods should have asterisks scribbled next to them in the record books. What insulting nonsense all round. That doesn't mean he's not missed. It's never quite the same, is it, in terms of pure entertainment? I wonder what sort of performance he'd be putting in round this fascinating Pinehurst course? I'm guessing he'd be level par through his first six holes: two birdies, two bogeys, an eagle, a double, and one driver flung or drop-kicked halfway down the fairway from the teebox with crazed intent. Meanwhile the leader Koepka taps in for par at 6, and Jim Furyk pars 15.
2.30pm ET
Dustin Johnson has had many a chance to land a major, and every time he's melted down. Could this week be different? He opened with a birdie at 1, and has now added a second at the par-five 5th: he's -2. As is his playing partner, the stargazing Jimmy Walker, who rattles in a six-footer for his second birdie of the day.
2.28pm ET
Luke Donald was in the mix at the start of the final round last year at Merion. Admittedly he'd buggered it up by the 4th or 5th, but he got himself there. Not such a strong start this year, with a short par putt missed at 12: he's +1. Els meanwhile can't make his par putt, and he's back to level par. What a hellish approach. He did well to get away with bogey after that. Up on 6, the leader Koepka finds the middle-front of the green, away from all the danger but not particularly close to the flag. And Scott can't make his birdie on 4. Koepka and Jim Furyk will doubtless disagree, but the second wave, as a collective, have yet to really get the blood pumping.
2.21pm ET
Els is in all sorts of bother on that dirt track, but he flicks a crisp chip to 15 feet. That's just about as good as was physically possible. On 14, Bill Haas knocks his second dead; he'll move to -1 unless he yips the putt. Adam Scott has started quietly, with three pars, but nearly slam dunks his approach at 4 straight into the cup. He's not left with a gimme, but that's eight feet for birdie.
2.16pm ET
Hunter Mahan rolls a 20-foot left-to-right breaker into the cup on 1 for birdie. Els might struggle to keep his brisk opening going: he's just wanged his approach to 3 onto a dirt track to the right of the green. That was miles off target. He stands back down the fairway, his hands ostentatiously on his hips. He's far from happy. But at the other end of the scale, here's Brooks Koepka, landing his second at the par-five 5th pin high to 12 feet, and curling in a missable right-to-left putt for eagle. He's at -3, and the new tournament leader!
2.10pm ET
Ernie Els whacks a stunning approach over the flag at 2 from the shrub, but his birdie putt down the green from eight feet is weak and always missing on the right. Still, this is a strong start from the South African. His compatriot Retief Goosen, also a two-time winner of this competition, drains a monster at 10 for an early birdie. And another veteran former winner, Jim Furyk, has just grabbed a share of the lead with birdies at 11 and now 13.
2.03pm ET
That pathetic excuse for a leaderboard is already out of date. As indeed is the whole paragraph of text, because the numbers don't add up. Cejka has dropped a shot at 15, while Kaymer - the Players champion, and a good shout for this tournament - has just joined this crowd at -1 with a masterful approach to five feet at the opening hole, and a birdie.
2.01pm ET
A whole raft of Americans who fancy landing their national Open, and have carded early birdies accordingly: Brooks Koepka, Mark Wilson, Ken Duke, Dustin Johnson, Jimmy Walker, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Justin Leonard. They're all part of a mammoth 19-man pile-up at -1, and tied for second spot. This is one hell of a leaderboard. It's not one I intend to reproduce right this minute, other than in this truncated manner:
-2: Na (F), McDowell (F), Cejka (5*)
1.56pm ET
A bright start to the evening wave.
1.46pm ET
Oh, here's Scott Murray back from his break. Normal, excellent, service can resume now. I'll hand the reins back to him. Bye.
1.44pm ET
This man leads the US Open.
1.41pm ET
Charl Schwartzel completes this group of Masters boys today. The 2011 champion makes par after a ropey birdie putt that left him with a little more to do than he would have liked. Watson, who played a superb wedge shot in to within 10ft on the first, leaves his putt a whisker short and takes par, while Scott reads the contours wrong on his birdie putt but his length does the trick and he plops his ball home to get off to a steady start. On you go lads.
1.34pm ET
The 2013 Masters champion, Adam Scott, has just rattled his tee shot away. He looks happy with that. And then it's the turn of the current owner of the green jacket, Bubba Watson, to get his round up and running. He's neat and tidy too.
1.31pm ET
More sweeping up due to my lack of golf match fitness. Todd finished with a 69 for the day too. He's -1 and will have a satisfied grin imprinted on his face as he has his post-round dram on whatever the pros drink these days.
1.28pm ET
"Evening Gregg. Come on then, who are you tipping? I've got a shilling here that will be coming with me to the bookies tomorrow, and I want to spend it wisely," asks Simon McMahon, who really should have asked the man in the know, Scott Murray. I'll give you my World Cup tip, though, Simon. Yes, you guessed it: Ecuador. As for the golf ah, go on then: get your money on Graeme McDowell. Acually don't. Bubba Watson will win this one.
1.24pm ET
I best just do a little sweeping up here and mention that Speith finished with a round of 69 so stays in that busy chasing pack on -1.
1.23pm ET
But Fowler 's got game, opening the face of his club as much as he can, crouching into his shot and sending a shower of sand up and over the bank, where his ball squirts out and rolls within 15 feet of the hole. He rolls his put up the hill and right to left but it doesn't come over enough and misses by a couple of inches. That's a bogey on his last. He'll be disappointed with that finish but he's par for the day. Seventy will do, thank you very much.
1.18pm ET
Chutzpah indeed. Because he goes straight for the flag on the 9th, his final hole of the day, but sends his ball whistling into the back of the bunker to the left of the green and gives himself a huge challenge to save par. Horrific stuff. His ball is buried like treasure in the back of the huge, knee-tremblingly steep bank at the back.
1.14pm ET
Fowler's just come this close to a share of the lead. Well, I say this close. I mean an inch. It was a 40-foot effort too. He's got chutzpah for sure
1.10pm ET
Hello Gregg here. I'll be updating as best I can while Scott's wrestling with the Hamburger Helper. What's that? You want a 1.10pm ET leaderboard? Go on then.
-2: Na (F*), McDowell (F), Spieth (16*)
1.03pm ET
Now Fitzpatrick sends his tee shot at 18 to five feet. That's magnificent. He can't make the birdie putt, but that's a par, and a 71. The young amateur's +1 in the US Open, three shots off the lead! Rose can't put his birdie putt away either, and he signs for 72: he's +2. And finally Mickelson, who rattles his long birdie putt eight feet past, but knocks the saver in. He signs for a level-par 70, and should be happy enough. But his habit of shedding shots towards the end of the round continues apace. He'll need to sort this out doublequick, if he wants to finally win the elusive US Open.
Anyway, I'm off to eat some Hamburger Helper, the only food-flavoured product to be advertised by a talking golf glove. Gregg Bakowski is your man. See you again in a wee while...
12.56pm ET
So this morning's marquee group - Mickelson, Rose and Fitzpatrick - make it to their final hole, the par-three 9th. Rose clacks a gorgeous shot to six feet. He'll not be giving up this trophy unless he has to. Mickelson sends his to the back of the green. A good turnaround by the much-fancied Hideki Matsuyama, by the way: the young Japanese genius was +2 through 11 holes, but has just birdied 5 and 6 to move back to level par.
12.51pm ET
Poor Matthew Fitzpatrick. Chipping from the back of 8, he's addressed the ball, only for it to move. That's a one-shot penalty. How unfortunate for the young amateur. He was already playing three. A chip up to 12 feet - and then he dribbles in an extremely missable bogey putt! He drops back to +1, but what a response to that stroke of misfortune. Mickelson drops a shot too, as he was always likely to do after that drive. He's back to level par. Not a great hole for Rose, Fitzpatrick and Mickelson, but it's a testing one all right, and they could all have done worse than bogey. Good old golf, what a strange game.
12.46pm ET
Ah the pressures of being the defending champion. Justin Rose started hellishly, has come right back into the mix, but now, chipping three into 8, he's hit an awful shot. He gave up on the swing as he made contact, fluffing the chip six yards up the fairway, and let go of his club on the follow through, the wedge flying off to the left. That's rather embarrassing. Then, of course, he bumps his fourth shot to two feet. He'll escape with a bogey, and drop back to +2. What a couple of chips!
12.42pm ET
One of the putts of the day at 7. Brendon Todd rakes in a 40-footer for birdie, and he becomes one of ten players currently under par. G-Mac, just off the edge of the 18th, takes his putter out and is an inch away from knocking a 15-footer in for birdie. Given where he put his drive, that would have been ridiculous, but the par means he'll be signing for a 68. As things stand, that's a share of the clubhouse lead with Kevin Na. And there's a happy finish to the round for Rory McIlroy, who hasn't really shone today, but lifts a wedge to ten feet, then knocks in the birdie putt. He signs for a 71, and at +1 he's still in great position!
12.37pm ET
Mickelson, possibly still in a fit of pique after missing that putt at 7, pulls a bloody awful drive into the trees down the right of 8. He might have got lucky with a bounce out. He hacks his second up the track, but there's quite a test now to save par. Up on 18, G-Mac sends his drive whistling into the grit down the left. His second, hit with a hybrid, could hardly have been any better: he used the ridge at the front of the green to take the sting out of the ball, and is unfortunate as it still topples off the back. But he should have a fair chance of getting up and down from there. Meanwhile a birdie for Stenson on 18, and he finishes with a one-under 69.
12.32pm ET
Kuchar gives himself a fine chance of scrambling par by flicking a careful wedge to ten feet from the back of 18. First, Kevin Na, who hit his approach pin high to 12 feet, knocks in his birdie putt. He signs for a 68. At -2, he's got a share of the lead with McDowell and Spieth - but not Fowler, who three putts needlessly on 6, missing a short par effort. Then Kuchar knocks in his putt, but only just: it always looked like staying out on the right, but toppled into the cup after thinking about it a while. With an appreciative grin, he goes off to sign for a 69. He'll sleep a lot better with that ball falling in.
12.26pm ET
Mickelson has a fine chance to rejoin the leaders McDowell, Spieth and Fowler at -2. But his ten-foot birdie putt on 7 drifts wide left. He remains at -1. Kuchar's second on 18 flies straight through the green and clatters off the walls of the clubhouse, though that's not out of bounds. He'll at least have a chance to get up and down to save his par. And on 17, McDowell leaves a chip from the back short, but knocks in a ten-footer to save his par. He just flat-out refused to give up a shot there. The sort of attitude that wins US Opens.
12.24pm ET
The leading pack drop a few shots. Bogey for Kevin Na at 8; he's back to -1. Matthew Fitzpatrick sheds another at 6; he's level. Henrik Stenson bogeys 16; he's level par too. The way this first round is panning out is very instructive. For a while, it looked like a few low scores were on the cards. Snedeker and Kuchar certainly threatened to make them. But as the greens have firmed up under the North Carolina sun, the scoring's got tougher. Justin Rose, who seemed completely out of it already this morning, is suddenly in the thick of it at +1. And would be even better placed had he knocked in a 15-foot birdie chance on 6.
12.17pm ET
The wheels have come off the Kuchar bandwagon as it trundles home. Bogeys at 16 and 17, and now his drive at 18 has leaked off into the scrappy stuff to the right of the fairway. Up the track, Brandt Snedeker pars and signs for a rollercoaster 69. He'll be very happy with that, partly because his form has been so bad for so long, but also because he turned things around in the wake of falling to pieces just after the turn.
12.15pm ET
Mickelson can't make his par. That was a poor three-putt, admittedly from distance. But he's back to -1. Kuchar in more sand, this time at 17. He splashes out to eight feet, then lets his par putt drift wide right. He's back to -1 too. That means the lead is now shared by Kevin Na; G-Mac, who knocks in a ten-foot par saver at 16, getting up and down well from the front; Rickie Fowler, whose second at the par-five 5th finds the back of the green, and he's not far from draining the eagle putt; and Jordan Spieth, who follows Fowler in for birdie. That leaderboard I posted is now hopelessly out of date. Gotta love US Open golf!
12.09pm ET
Mickelson, having made it to the top of the leaderboard, is in grave danger of dropping off it immediately. His tee shot into 6 isn't particularly great, but the long putt he leaves himself from the front is nothing short of appalling, a complete misjudgement, left 15-20 feet short. He's battling to save par here.
12.06pm ET
The leaderboard at high noon. (Well, give or take a few minutes. Hey, do I look like Gary Cooper?) Slightly disappointing ends to the rounds of Marcel Siem, who bogeyed 18, and Lucas Bjerregaard, who dropped one at 7. And a really miserable end to Henrik Norlander's round: having made it to -3, he dropped shots at 6, 7 and 8. But I suspect they'd have all taken par 70s at the start of the day.
-2: Na (16*), Kuchar (16), McDowell (15), Mickelson (14*)
-1: Snedeker (17), Fitzpatrick (14*), Spieth (13*), Fowler (13*), Rask (10), Lindheim (11*)
E: Norlander (F), Bjerregaard (F), Siem (F), Stenson (16), Simpson (15), Poulter (15), Luiten (14), Todd (14*)
11.59am ET
Kuchar splashes out from the bunker at 16, but the ball takes a hot bounce and ends 20 feet past the hole. A job on there to save par. It's an uphill putt, and he doesn't quite hit it. His first bogey of the day, and he's back to -2, in a share of the lead with Na, McDowell and Mickelson. But not Snedeker, who hits his tee shot at 17 into the heart of the green. Par guaranteed, you'd have thought, but he skelps his first putt eight feet past the hole, then pushes his par putt straight right. He's back to -1. What a very strange player Snedeker is. He's brilliant, and highly entertaining. But he should be a little more brilliant than he actually ends up being. Always a sense his mind is wandering.
11.51am ET
Trouble for the leader Matt Kuchar, down the behemoth par-four 16th. He's driven into the dirt down the left of the fairway. After a period of thought that was positively Kevin Na-esque, he whistles his second into a bunker to the right of the green. There are worse spots. Back on 5, Rose gets up and down from the front, curling in a birdie putt from 30 feet. That's his third birdie since the turn, and he's back to +1. Brilliant stuff. A dropped stroke for the brave amateur Fitzpatrick, though. And then Mickelson hits an appalling eagle putt up the track, sending it eight feet to the left of the hole, leaving himself a tricky right-to-left slider. But he makes it - having gone to school on the unfortunate Fitzpatrick's putt - and he's -2!
11.46am ET
More sand-based trouble for Spieth, this time down 4, but he's up and down again to save his par. He's a battler, all right, this kid. Up on the par-five 5th, Mickelson is so unfortunate: he booms a huge drive down the track, then fires his second towards the green. It should bounce forward and towards the flag, into Eagle County, but sticks at the front. Still, an up and down for birdie. Meanwhile on 16, Snedeker rattles in another birdie putt, this time from the front of the green, 35 feet away! He's back to -2! This is amazing, given how beaten the man looked after that appalling run after the turn. He's a very entertaining golfer to watch, is Brandt Snedeker.
11.36am ET
McDowell clips a gorgeous shot to six feet at 14. He's got a marvellous chance to move to -2 for the tournament. And he rattles it straight in! Tenacious and with a solid short game, G-Mac could be a dark horse to add to his 2010 title. His playing partner and pal McIlroy can't quite get it going, though does well to escape from a little valley running along the front of the green to save par. He remains at +1. Back on 13, Poulter knocks his approach to 15 feet but the birdie effort is never going in. And Bjerregaard can't make his birdie effort on 8. That's a fine chance spurned.
11.30am ET
It's getting hot in North Carolina. Like that's news. The greens may show their teeth this afternoon as they cook under the summer sun. Bjerregaard drops a shot at 7, but gives himself a chance to grab it straight back at 8 with a lovely approach to eight feet below the flag. Up on 17, Siem caresses a tee shot into Payne Stewart Country, then knocks in the birdie putt. He's -1. He's under par! He was +3 after four holes! That's a fantastic performance by the German.
11.27am ET
Stenson is a dimple away from dribbling a 12-footer for birdie into the cup at 14. But he stays at -1. That was a treacherous downhill putt, he'll be pleased enough with that. A brilliant par save by Spieth at 3: he pulls his second into the bunker, splashes out to six feet, and knocks in a missable putt. He was in a lot of trouble there, he's done very well to steady the ship. As has Snedeker, who requires a six-footer of his own to save par at 15. Both players remain at -1. Which is not something Pablo Larrazabal can say: he's just let a ten-footer at 6 slide by the left. Bogey, and he's back to level par.
11.22am ET
Lee Westwood's recovery stalls. He's putting to save par from off the back-right of 14. He makes a magnificent fist of it, nearly holing a huge right-to-left breaker up the bank and across the dancefloor, but it's a turn short and he's back to +2. Back on 13, McIlroy nearly drains a 35-footer for birdie, but remains at +1. Neither scrap of news is particularly welcome to fans of the old British and Irish golf, so here's some better news: McDowell is going well, steady as you like, -1 through 13, while Poulter is hanging in there, level par after 12.
11.18am ET
The freewheelin'
Kevin Na makes a significant move. An eagle at 5, chipping in from close range to the right of the green, and he's -2 through 14.
11.13am ET
A fine up and down by Speith at 2, who drops just the single shot. He was always up against it after that tee shot. He's back to -1. He's joined there by his playing partner Rickie Fowler, who is kitted out in plus fours, in the style of the late Payne Stewart. A fitting tribute to the winner here in 1999, and his play's up to Stewartesque speed, too: an approach clipped to six feet, and the birdie putt rattled in. And some much needed succour for Brandt Snedeker, who has just birdied 14 with a lovely 25-foot left-to-right curler to arrest his steep decline since the turn. He's back to -1, which is lovely to see. Here's the leader board:
-3: Kuchar (13)
-2: Norlander (15*), Fitzpatrick (12*)
-1: Bjerregaard (15*), Larrazabal (14*), Snedeker (14), Stenson (13), McDowell (12), Mickelson (12*), Spieth (11*), Fowler (11*), Rask (7)
11.06am ET
Speith's wedge into 2 doesn't grip on the putting surface, and topples back off the VW roof. It'll be a good up and down from there for bogey. Meanwhile Norlander (who has just bogeyed 6 to drop back to -2) isn't the only Scandinavian to have flown in under the radar: Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark has just eagled 5, and he's -1 through 15 holes.
11.02am ET
A chance for Fitzpatrick, at 19 years of age, to lead the US Open. But he doesn't really hit his putt with any confidence, and the chance goes begging. Rose knocks in his second birdie in three holes; he's back to +2. This is the golf of a major champion again, a fine response to an awful front nine. A little bit of trouble for Spieth, who nearly drives out of bounds down the left of 2. He's up against a wall, with traffic speeding by behind. He punches out onto the fairway, but could be in danger of dropping back here.
10.56am ET
Mickelson whips his second into the heart of 3. That's a nerveless shot out of a trap that has a big old threatening face. He should save par from there. Rose (+3) and Fitzpatrick (-2) both go close with their approaches, setting up birdie chances. But everyone in the group will be happy with those outcomes, given where they all were.
10.53am ET
Mickelson - what's the best verb? - Mickelsons a gorgeous chip from trouble down the right of 2. He scoops it high into the air, and lands it inches from the hole. Par saved. Then he - what's the best verb? - Mickelsons a drive into filth down the left of 3. There be trouble. A couple of decent comeback stories brewing: Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood both had shoddy starts. Stenson was +1 through 6, but birdies at 8 and now 11 have sent the world number two back to -1. Westwood meanwhile, +3 through 7, has followed up his birdie at 9 with another at 12. Who can fail to warm to that cheery gap-toothed smile? I bet he was a bonny baby.
10.48am ET
The totally unsung Henrik Norlander, making his US Open debut, birdies 5. That's back to back birdies, he's now in a share of the lead with Kuchar. A shot behind is Matthew Fitzpatrick, playing in his last-ever tournament as an amateur: the 19-year-old, the best thing to come out of Sheffield since Michael Palin, or perhaps Jarvis Cocker, birdies 2 to move to -2. Snedeker however is totally falling to pieces: he's now carded 6-6-5 since the turn, dropping another shot at 12. I think we can forget about the poor man, long-term form is taking vengeful precedence over that early-morning spurt.
10.40am ET
Mickelson, from the centre of 2, almost hooks an appalling approach to the right of the green. "What was that?" he cries as the ball flies through the air, taking his hopes with it. An ersatz tribute to Colin Montgomerie making a proper bollocks of it from prime position down the 72nd at Winged Foot. It is possible to make scores round Pinehurst No2, but the course is very quick to bite back.
10.36am ET
Sergio Garcia, then. You'd expect this course to be his cup of tea, all this sand about, the chance to shape a few shots, play some Seve-esque escapes. But he's just dropped another stroke, this time at 11, and he's +3. GOOD GOD, MAN. Kuchar meanwhile shows his mettle, knocking in the par saver at 11. He remains in the lead at -3. All that talk about this being Mickelson's time, and yet here's a player who might finally be in the mood to stake a claim at a major prize.
10.31am ET
Rose rakes in a 25-footer for birdie at 1. But it only takes him back to +3 through 10, having gone out in 39 strokes, and that doesn't improve his mood much. Defending a championship is pretty much the hardest thing to do. I wonder if players subconsciously give up half the time. Meanwhile Kuchar shows Snedeker how he should have played 11. Finding the same bunker down the left, he plays out, and gives himself a chance to chip close from the fairway. He's perhaps 12 feet from the pin. Not a certainty to save par, then, but at least he's given himself the chance.
10.26am ET
Snedeker's putt up 11 isn't great, breaking a long way left. He can't knock in the 12-footer he leaves himself, and that's a double. How long ago his tee shot at 9 seems now. That was rank bad course management, he was far too aggressive from the bunker. Though his lack of confidence this season didn't help; he suddenly looks a man defeated. Time to pull it together, he's still in the red figures ...
-3: Kuchar (10)
-2: Norlander (13*), Spieth (8*), Rask (4)
-1: Berger (13), Larrazabal (12*), Langley (12*), Snedeker (11), McDowell (9), Toms (10*), Fitzpatrick (9*), Mickelson (9*), Hurley III (7), Goss (6), Kapur (6*), McNealy (6*)
10.21am ET
Mickelson saves his par with a hard-as-nails up and down from the side of 18. He's out in 34 strokes. No silly short putts missed yet, so that claw putting grip is working up to this point. He'll be happy with his start. The entire United States of America will be happy with his start. Short birdie effort missed by Westwood on 10. There goes that momentum! And in one hole, too. Meanwhile Snedeker does well to punch his ball out of the forest to the front of 11, but he'll have a long two putts if he wants to drop just the single shot. It's going to concertina up at the top of the leaderboard, with Norlander knocking in a birdie putt at 4 to move to -2. It'll be leaderboard time soon.
10.15am ET
McIlroy pops his birdie putt at 9 straight into the hole. Coming after that up and down at 8, he'll be in fine fettle despite being down at +1. Kuchar is a dimple away from knocking in a birdie putt at 10 for the outright lead, but stays at -3. But he might have the lead to himself soon anyway: Snedeker's wheels are in danger of clanking off. He's driven into a bunker miles to the left of the 11th fairway, and batters an over-ambitious attempt to reach the green from 220 yards into the face of the trap. The ball balloons off to the left, and behind a tree, nestling on a carpet of twigs. Take your medicine, kids, take your medicine.
10.09am ET
A couple of moves to -2: Jordan Spieth at 16, and Clayton Rask at 4, both Americans rattling in birdie putts from distance. Henrik Norlander of Sweden is going well: he's -1 through 12 holes, having recently birdied 1. And how about this from the German Jimenez wannabe Marcel Siem? He opened in hellish style, with bogeys at 2, 3 and 4. But he's now back to level par, having birdied 5, and now 10 and 11.
10.07am ET
Snedeker will rue that short birdie miss at 9. He finds the centre of the green at 10, but three putts, racing his first ten feet past the hole, then letting the par saver drift to the left. He's back to -3, alongside Kuchar. Mickelson's game is beginning to look a bit tatty: he drives into the tat down the left of 18, then sends his second bounding down the slope to the right of the green. Rory, incidentally, rather wonderfully managed to get up and down from Nonsense County at 8, and has now clattered his tee shot at 9 to ten feet, a fine birdie chance.
10.03am ET
Rose can't make his par putt at 17. This is a poor show. Over-reliance on woods from the fringe is all a bit Todd Hamilton at the 2004 Open, the nadir of All Golf. The reigning champ's playing partner, young Matthew Fitzpatrick, takes a Mickelsonesque full swing at a sand shot from a tight lie, and saves his par brilliantly. Meanwhile a much-needed birdie for Lee Westwood, raked in from distance on 9. He's out in 37, +2, but will be feeling much better about himself after that.
9.59am ET
Nothing's going right for Rose. He so nearly holes in one at 17, his ball bouncing twice and slamdunking into the cup. But the ball misses by an inch, picks up pace and flies off the back of the green. Another weak bump onto the green with a fairway wood, and he's in danger of dropping another shot, again. This is proving a difficult defence already. On 9, Kuchar drains a huge right-to-left swinger from the back for birdie: he's -3, and only a shot behind the leader Snedeker! Bogey for Spieth at 15; he drops to -1. Meanwhile it's not looking like a good day for McIlroy: after that dropped shot at 6, he's shed a second at 7, and now sent his approach at 8 bounding down a glacial hill to the left of 8.
9.53am ET
A lovely nudge with the 3-wood from the fringe of 18 at Merion secured the US Open for Justin Rose last year. But he's just fannied one here at 16, having left himself short of the green with his tee shot. A staunch putt scrambles his par, but he's still +2. To his playing partners. Mickelson is one turn away from birdie, having left his approach in the fringe and chipped up delicately. A difficult hole out of the way. But then look at this! Fitzpatrick, playing alongside a five-time major winner and the current US Open champion, drains a 20-footer for birdie! What a way to bounce back from back-to-back bogeys! He's -1 again.
9.47am ET
The lowest nine-hole total in US Open history is 29. Neal Lancaster managed it twice, at Shinnecock Hills in 1995 and Oakland Hills in 1996. Vijay Singh did it "just" the once, at Olympia Fields in 2003. Snedeker however can only make it to the turn in 31. He prods at his birdie putt at 9 in a very uncertain manner, and it floats away to the right of the cup. He's still -4, but it should be so much better. How will that affect him? He's not been a man in form, this morning's birdie blitz has come very much out of the blue.
9.42am ET
Snedeker is on fire! His tee shot at the par-three 9th is straight at the flag. A couple of bounces and he's left with a six-foot uphill putt to move to -5. He'll be out in 30 if that goes in! Meanwhile Toms can't rake in a 20-foot par saver at 16, and he's back to -1. And Day's having an up-and-down round: two early bogeys wiped out by back-to-back birdies. Then he drops one at 8, before missing a very makeable birdie effort at 9. He's out in 36, +1 for the round.
9.38am ET
Speaking of weak splashes, Lee Westwood faffs an escape from the sand at 7, can't rake in the long putt he leaves himself, and he's already +3 for this tournament. I fear Muirfield might have been his last chance to break that major duck; the look in his eye is that of a man who secretly knows the jig is up, the race run. Hope I'm talking nonsense, and through my hat to boot. But I wouldn't bet the farm. Fitzpatrick, having dropped a stroke at 14, loses another at 15, and after that fast start, he's back to level par. Some better news for yer actual England, with Ian Poulter carding back to back birdies at 5 and 6. That's a fine response by the battling Poulter to dropping a stroke at the opening hole. He's -1, and by the Payne-esque look on his mug, appears to be in the mood for the Pinehurst test.
9.32am ET
Nope. Snedeker moves to -4, two clear of Kuchar, Toms, Jaidee and Spieth. That crowd at -2 no longer contains Mickelson, who hits a hot chip straight through the green at 15. A good up and down from the other side, but he's -1 again. There'll be quite a bit of this back-and-forth this week, I'd say. Meanwhile McIlroy started with five pars, but he can't get up and down from the bunker, having found sand to the right of 6. A weak splash out, and that's him back to +1. Sergio has dropped another, this time at 8: he's +2, and I knew I shouldn't have embraced hope. The same mistake on your super soaraway Guardian Hole-By-Hole report, every bloody time.
9.27am ET
Mickelson demonstrates the VW Beetlesque nature of the greens here. He drops his tee shot into the centre of the par-three 15th, and watches in horror as it takes a hot bounce and rolls off down the slope at the back. That'll test even Mickelson. He can be thankful there was a bit of rain last night, or that one could have whistled off towards Georgia. Snedeker, meanwhile, appears to be in the groove today. He's already leading this tournament, and now a shoo-in to move to -4, having lifted a soft, high approach to three feet at 8. He surely can't miss that, can he?
9.23am ET
Speith might have a cack-handed putting grip, but it works. He whistles one straight into the back of the cup from 12 feet at 13. He's -2. Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand has sprung into action: birdies at 4 and 5, and he's -2 too. There are scores out here today, if players have their short game with them. The beauty of Pinehurst. We could be in for a spectacular US Open.
9.19am ET
Snedeker snatches the outright lead, at -3, with birdie at 7, sending his second 12 feet below the hole, and rolling the birdie putt straight into the cup. Toms is a dimple away from joining him at 15, but his birdie effort from eight feet stays out. Meanwhile Mickelson has clacked his approach at 14 to three feet: a surefire birdie. He's missed some daft short putts in his time, but not now. That drops, and he's -2. But another dropped shot for Rose, who misses a short one at 14. He's +2, and goodness me but it's difficult to retain a major championship. And Fitzpatrick three-putts poorly at 14 to drop back to -1.
9.13am ET
Eagle for G-Mac at 5! He's found the heart of the green at 5, and rolled in a 15-footer that slid gently from left to right. He's got the short game to do very well here this week if he keeps it steady. He's up to -1. First slip for the defending champ Rose, who drops a shot at 13; he's back to +1. Meanwhile Kuchar joins Snedeker and Fitzpatrick in the lead at -2 ... as does 2001 PGA champ David Toms, a veteran at 47, with birdies at 13 and 14! Pinehurst No2 looks beautiful, incidentally, the rough having been replaced with scrubland and an awful lot of sand. It's going to be a puzzle sometimes to work out what's a bunker and what isn't, and when it's permissible to ground the club. Memories of Dustin Johnson coming up the last at Whistling Straits in the 2010 PGA, giving up a two-stroke penalty that cost him a place in the play-off. What price a similar controversy sometime this week? What price it involving Dustin Johnson? You wouldn't put it past him, would you.
8.54am ET
Early days to be making judgements, of course, but the signs so far don't look good for everyone's favourite 50-something booze-swiller Miguel Angel Jimenez. A second dropped shot of the day, this time at 3, and he's already +2. Sergio, meanwhile, has dropped another stroke, this time at 4. He's parred 5, steadying the ship at +1. But here's a reason why it's wise not to be writing any of our slow starters off quite yet: the rather excellent Jason Day, runner up in 2011 and again last year, started with a pair of bogeys, but he's just carded two birdies on the bounce, at 4 and 5, to return to level par. Marvellous. He deserves a major, it'd be nice to see a first Australian US Open champion since David Graham in 1981. (I'm still in denial about Geoff Ogilvy's triumph in 2006, on account of poor old Phil and Monty. Don't mock me, it's a serious condition. They call it Cink-Watson Syndrome.)
8.47am ET
Another birdie for Snedeker, this time at 5, and he's the sole leader of the tournament at -2. Hold on, young Fitzpatrick has carded his second birdie of the round, at 12, and he joins him! What a start for the young Englishman, this is sensational. He's clearly a very cool customer, this is the third major he's made a splash at! A fine excuse for our first leaderboard of the 2014 US Open, a snapshot in time if you will:
-2: Snedeker (5), Fitzpatrick (3*)
-1: Larrazabal (6*), Kuchar (4), Simpson (4), Mickelson (3*), Spieth (1*), Matsuyama (1*)
8.42am ET
A solid start for the defending champion Justin Rose, as he looks to join a select band of men who have won back-to-back US Open titles: par par. If he manages it - and he's only got 70 holes to go! - he'll be the first to hold onto the trophy since Curtis Strange in 1990, Strange being the latest in a line which also includes, working backwards, Ben Hogan ('50 and '51), Ralph Guldahl ('37 and '38), Bobby Jones ('29 and '30), John McDermott ('11 and '12) and the hard-drinking, short-tempered legend Willie Anderson ('03, '04 and '05).
8.35am ET
Fitzpatrick isn't alone in the early European charge, such as it is. Also in an ever-expanding leading pack at -1 is Pablo Larrazabal of Spain, who picked his shot up at 13. But it's mainly home heroes at the top of the tree: early bird Daniel Berger, Kevin Na, Nick Watney, Billy Horschel and Jordan Spieth have all carded birdies early doors. Spieth isn't the only in-form youngster up there: Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, who finished in the top ten at Merion last year, has birdied 10 to start in the progressive fashion. "It's much to my chagrin that the TV coverage for golf events start so late," groans David Elkin. "It's prohibitive to us sporting nerds who want to watch the full rounds. I can't think of a single reason why the coverage would be limited other than some conservative agenda from the powers that be. The Masters is, of course, worse. But even the US Open should have full coverage from the first tee off. Or at least streamed online. Don't these people realise some of us have nothing better to do of a Thursday morning? Unemployed Irish people like myself need golfing stimulation for as long as possible. I've resorted to watching the cricket where they have Jamie Redknapp as a guest commentator. This is a travesty. An entertainment and logical travesty." Yes, every shot should be available for instant access. Though I quite like how the folk running the Masters play awkward, it's part of the tournament's unique charm. Retains a little allure. They only showed four holes back in the 1950s. They only allowed TV to broadcast live from the first eight holes in 1993! You wouldn't have them any other way.
8.25am ET
Hold onto your KPMG-sponsored visors, ladies and gentlemen! Could it be Lefty's year (pt XXXVIII)? Phil Mickelson's only gone and birdied his opening hole, the long par-five 10th! That's created the sort of sonic boom that almost occurred nearby in 1961, when the US Air Force accidentally dropped a couple of atomic bombs over nearby Goldsboro, only to exhale with relief upon finding that their fancy weapons didn't work. He's joined at -1 by his playing partner, the Sheffield United fanatic
John Ashdown
Matthew Fitzpatrick, 19, who won the silver medal at last year's Open, and put up a good show at the Masters. He'll be turning professional once this is done.
8.15am ET
And he's back! Did you ever doubt him? Sergio picks up the shot he dropped at 2 straight away, with birdie at 3. Westwood bogeys 2. Jimenez drops one at the opening hole. Poulter bogeys that too. No fast starts from the Europeans out there just yet. A very American flavour at the top: Snedeker, Kuchar, Simpson and Zach Johnson are the only players under par. But very early days of course. Meanwhile it's just gone 1pm in London, which is lunchtime in anyone's book. I've already had my official Guardian aduki bean smoothie, but for those of you desirous of proper food, this might be of interest (thanks to Wendy Mitchell): the great North Carolina BBQ debate.
7.57am ET
Sergio makes his first move of the week, and given that it would be rather nice for him to finally land one of the big four championships, naturally it's in the wrong direction. Oh for goodness sake. A bogey at 2, and he's +1. His playing partner Jason Day continues to struggle, dropping his second shot in two holes; he's +2. Brandt Snedeker, pootling along at -1, will be feeling pretty pleased with himself right now. He's joined at the top by 2007 Master Zach Johnson, starting out at 10, and 2012 champ Webb Simpson, who birdied 1 as Rory and G-Mac were parring it.
7.52am ET
Matt Kuchar has a major in him, surely? He was there or there abouts in all four of the big ones last year, and ended up in the top ten yet again at the Masters back in April. A birdie at the opening hole sees him join Snedeker at the top of the nascent leaderboard. Like the smiling Floridian, Lee Westwood also surely has a maj... actually, let's not go there. But an opening par is a solid start. Henrik Stenson opens with a bogey, though. The amateur Cameron Wilson continues to suffer a rocky start: he's +3 through 4, but may take a little succour from the fact that Pinehurst No2 is a test and a half for the professionals as well: the South Korean kyoungster Kyoung-Hoon Lee helps Wilson prop up the field at +3, having bogeyed 11 and doubled 12.
7.46am ET
There's a gaggle of big names on the way very soon. What a start to the US Open we have. Sergio is already out. The world number two Henrik Stenson has just teed off. The 2010, 2011 and 2012 winners Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson will be heading out in a sec: what a group that is. Ian Poulter and Miguel Angel Jimenez follow, adding a bit of glamour, the lightly-toasted brand Jimenez offers being particularly attractive. But of course the real buzz in the morning wave surrounds
DA Points
Phil Mickelson and the defending champion Justin Rose, who will be out just before 8am Cackalacka time, 1pm in
good old
Blighty. I know I keep saying this, but: it's on! It really is!
7.39am ET
So much for Berger's quick start. It's all about the young man in the early moments of this tournament. He hit the first shot of the 2014 US Open, made the first birdie, and now he's handed it straight back, dropping a shot at the 3rd. His place at the top of the leaderboard has been taken over by Brandt Snedeker, as the first of the big boys go out on the prowl. He's birdied the opening hole, a perfect start. A solid start for his playing partner Sergio Garcia, too, who pars. But the third in this big-name trio, the much fancied Jason Day of Australia, drops a stroke. Meanwhile Day's compatriot Matt Jones, hot of form only a couple of months back when he won his first PGA Tour event at the Shell Houston Open, has opened with a pair of bogeys, and props up the entire field - such as it is at this early stage - at +2. Amazing how quickly golf tournaments start taking a little shape. It's sort of meaningless, of course, but I could stare at leaderboards all day. You can lose yourself in them. It's a bit like maps, they're hypnotic. I know I need to get out more, but this is all I am, you may as well know what you're getting.
7.30am ET
The players are out, so where's the best place to start? It being the US Open, the first bogeys and double bogeys of the 2014 tournament, that's where! The amateur Cameron Wilson was in the first group out, and was the only unfortunate to drop a shot on the 1st. Coming up behind him, Brian Stuard, making it through the qualifiers for the second year in a row. He missed the cut last time round at Merion, and hasn't started so well here either, carding a double at the opening hole. A long way to go, though. And I suppose we should recognise the only man to pick up a shot so far: young Daniel Berger. The 21-year-old is making his US Open debut, and what a start, with birdie at the long par-four 2nd. He's the first leader of the 2014 US Open, but not, I'll be bound, the last. It's on!
7.22am ET
"I felt like I was in control." That's how Phil Mickelson remembers it. He was standing on the 16th tee at Pinehurst No2, one fateful Sunday afternoon back in 1999, leading the US Open by a shot from his playing partner Payne Stewart, with three holes to play. Mickelson and Stewart were in the final group, and in the process of successfully fending off a high-class chasing pack starring Tiger Woods, the reigning PGA champion Vijay Singh, and the world number one David Duval. The destination of the title would be decided between the pair of them.
Mickelson drove into the rough at the behemoth par-four, but took his medicine, chipping out, and clacked his approach pin high to eight feet. Stewart meanwhile made it to the front of the green in two, only to thin his chip 25 feet past the hole. Mickelson, one stroke and 13 feet up on Stewart, was certainly "in control".
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