RORY McILROY finally got the fast start he needed at Pebble Beach, as a three under par 68 ended his horror show in the US Open.
Since his runaway victory in this event at Congressional in 2011 McIlroy was a combined 36 OVER par for his opening rounds – and his last three efforts were 77, 78, and 80, all leading to missed cuts.
So this Pebble dash was just the gritty opening round he was looking for as he bids to follow up his impressive seven shots victory in last week’s Canadian Open.
It was his best start in 18 attempts since he last won at this level, at the 2014 USPGA Championship.
McIlroy commented: “To get off to such a good start is so important. You are right in the tournament from the start, which is a nice position to be in.
“In the first two Majors this year I shot 73 at Augusta and over par at Bethpage as well and it’s so hard to chase, especially when courses are so tough
“I did what I wanted to do which was hit it in the fairways for the most part, hit a lot of greens and when I didn’t I was able to get it up and down. I did everything you need to do in a US Open.
“I stayed patient after I bogeyed the first and played really solid after that so I did what you are supposed to do, make a lot of pars, and chip off the birdies when you can. It was a good day’s work.”
McIlory, 30, looked a bit nervous at first, especially starting on the notoriously difficult tenth, the final leg on the three hole Cliffs of Doom stretch.
He looked anxiously as his tee shot seemed to be heading towards the beach, but it just held onto the right hand side of the fairway.
The world No 3 had more cause for concern as his second shot disappeared into a greenside bunker, and he failed to get up and down for par.
But he got that shot by rolling in a 15 footer at the 13th, and then smacked a superb tee shot at the par three 17th to within eight feet of the flag for his second birdie.
It was far from plain sailing though, with McIlroy pulling off several impressive par saves, before kicking into top gear with back-to-back birdies at the second and third holes.
He almost completed the hat-trick, but his ten footer on the fourth lipped out, and he looked furious with himself when he had to settle for par on the long sixth, the easiest hole on the course.
That meant McIlroy had failed to birdie any of the three par fives at Pebble, holes he would expect to batter into submission.
But at least he was managing to keep any more bogeys off his card, and another great par save from the cabbage at the back of the eighth green brought the smile back to his face.
With Pebble Beach practically inviting low scores on an overcast morning with virtually no wind, it was even more important for McIlroy to keep pressing.
And almost provided a grandstand finish, pounding a 330 yard drive down the 502 yards ninth – the hardest hole at Pebble – and then floating a lovely approach shot to ten feet.
His birdie putt refused to drop, but it was still a highly satisfactory start to McIlroy’s quest for an overdue fifth Major title.
It left him two shots behind early pace-setter Rickie Fowler, who is determined to shed his tag as the best player without a Major win to his name at the moment.
Fowler, 30, has managed three runner-up finishes and fife other top fives in the Majors – without getting over the line, and it looked as if he was trying to disguise his identity as he tuned up sporting a less than fashionable mullet!
But there was plenty to admire about his golf. He bagged six birdies in his bogey-free 65, and it would have been even better is he had taken advantage of a perfect drive on the par five 18th.
England’s Tyrrell Hatton was Fowler’s closest pursuer for a while. He was four under with three holes to play, but back-to back bogeys at 16 and 17 dropped him off the pace.
Graeme McDowell, who won the US Open here in 2010, continued his recent resurgence with a two under par 69, while Matt Wallace and Tommy Fleetwood were both a shot back.
