Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay lead after first round of 2024 US Open

The first round of the 2024 United States Open from Pinehurst, North Carolina  is now in the books and there is a two-way tie at the top. Those golfers in first place are four-time major champion Rory McIlroy of Holywood, Northern Ireland and Patrick Cantlay of Long Beach, California. The four major championships McIlroy has won in the past are the 2011 United States Open, the 2012 and 2014 PGA Championship and the 2014 British Open.

McIlroy and Cantlay are at -5. Cantlay had six birdies and one bogey. He birdied the first, fifth, sixth, eighth, 11th, and 18th holes, and bogeyed the 15th hole. McIlroy had five birdies and zero bogeys. He birdied the fourth, fifth, 10th, 16th, and 18th holes. The poise McIlroy displayed throughout the round was impressive. For a golfer who has not won a major in decade, he exemplified a combination of poise and confidence.

Ludvig Aberg of Sweden is the lone golfer in third place at -4. Then there is a two-way tie for fourth place at -3. Those two golfers two strokes back are American Bryson DeChambeau of Modesto, California, the 2020 United States Open champion, and France’s Matthieu Pavon. Then there are three golfers at two-under-par, and three strokes back of McIlroy and Cantlay. There you can find Americans Tony Finau of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Akshay Bhatia of Los Angeles, California, alongside England’s Tyrrell Hatton.

It has been an intriguing season for DeChambeau so far. He finished sixth at the Masters in April and second at the PGA Championship in May.