The opening round of the 2026 U.S. Open was a rollercoaster ride for the World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler is currently tied for 68th with a score of +2 after shooting a 72 on the day. He ended much better than when he started, but overall, it was another unimpressive opening round.
This was an odd round for Scheffler. His iron play actually hurt him on Thursday, and his driving was immaculate. Thursday was kind of the opposite of what we have seen from Scheffler lately.
“Scottie Scheffler hit 12 of 14 fairways today but just 9 greens in regulation. It’s the 42nd time he’s hit 12+ fairways in a round. It’s the first time he’s hit 12+ fairways and hit less than 11 greens,” via Justin Ray on X.
The Shinnecock greens were ruthless, and the high winds did not help either. Scheffler began with a bogey on the Par 4 4th hole, but did bounce back right away with a birdie on the Par 5 5th. Scottie bogeyed again on the 6th and then had a disastrous double bogey on the 8th. he shot a 38 on the front nine but played much better on the back nine. He birdied the 12th, 14th, and 17th holes. Seeing a “2” on the scorecard is always a great sign. There is a lot of golf yet to be played, and as of now, he is only five shots off the lead.
Scheffler is clearly not the only player who struggled on Thursday, as only 15 players are under par. Keith Mitchell had an unreal day where he shot a 40 on the front nine, but then a 34 on the second nine to end even on the day. You just never know what will happen. Any momentum can go a long way.
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