Kiwi Ryan Fox and three-time champion Tiger Woods have finished well off the pace in the opening round of the US Open at Pinehurst.
American Patrick Cantlay has used a late birdie blitz to grab the early clubhouse lead in North Carolina, where tournament favourite Scottie Scheffler had just started his first round.
Cantlay, 32, carded three late birdies on a tricky Pinehurst No.2 layout, en route to a sizzling five-under-par 65 that left him one shot clear of Masters runner-up Ludvig Aberg.
He had a chance to go even lower, but a birdie putt from 19 feet at his final hole - the par-three ninth - shaved the right edge.
Starting on the back nine, Fox birdied the 11th hole to dip under par early, but lost three shots on 13 and 14, including a double on the latter, Turning at two over, he lost another on the second, picking a stroke up on the fifth, but handed it back on the seven to finish three-over-par 73, tied for 110th.
Midway through the opening round, the cutline - top 60 plus ties - lies at one over.
Tiger Woods birdied both par-five holes, but finished at four-over 74 in his opening round.
Woods, 48, offset his birdies at 5 and 10 with six bogeys, including four on the front nine.
"I didn't hit my irons particularly well," he said. "Didn't putt that great.
"Drove it on the string all day. Unfortunately, I just didn't capitalise on it."
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The 15-time Major winner is making his first US Open appearance since 2020. He won the US Open in 2000, 2002 and 2008.
Woods started on the back nine and briefly shared the lead with an 11-foot birdie putt at the 10th hole. He saved par at 12 and 13 with putts from a similar distance, before missing a birdie bid at the par-four 14th.
He missed the fairway at No.16 and carded his first bogey, after a dropped shot, then missed his second putt at the par-three 17th for another bogey.
After making the turn at one-over 36, Woods three-putted for bogey at one and missed short par putts at two and four.
"I think I three-putted, what, 2-3 times today?" Woods said. "If I clean that up, if I get a couple iron shots not as lose as I did, I'm right there at even par."
Woods set up his birdie at No.5 with a booming four-iron from the centre of the fairway, but he gave the shot back at No.8 with his sixth bogey in an 11-hole stretch.
"This is a golf course that doesn't give up a whole lot of birdies," Woods said. "It gives up a lot of bogeys and higher.
"I thought I did the one thing I needed to do today, which is drive the ball well. I did that. I just didn't capitalise on any of it."
Woods, who teed off with Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick, hit a total of 10 greens in regulation.
Woods is playing an abbreviated schedule this year in an effort to avoid injuries. This is his first event since missing the cut at the PGA Championship four weeks ago.
"I'm physically getting better as the year has gone on," he said. "I just haven't been able to play as much, because I don't just don't want to hurt myself pre [tournament], then I won't be able to play in the Major championships."
Reuters/Newshub
More to come
