Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Former champion Wyndham Clark has seen his four-shot overnight lead halved as the first round of the US Open concluded early on Friday morning at Shinnecock Hills.
Clark, the 2024 victor and one of four previous winners occupying the top four places heading into round two, parred his remaining two holes after returning at 6.35am local time to sign for a six-under-par 64.
Dustin Johnson, a winner at an equally-tough course in Oakmont in 2016, rolled back the years to post a 66 after he birdied two of his final three holes to move into second place.
The 41-year-old American, who plays on the LIV Golf circuit, has missed six cuts in his last 11 majors with a best finish of joint-23rd but was one of Thursday’s late starters to benefit from the absence of forecasted high winds to leave the course at the most vulnerable it will be all week.
Matt Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open winner, should have joined Johnson but having birdied his penultimate hole he missed a short putt at the last and had to settle for a three-under 67 alongside Gary Woodland, who lifted this title at Pebble Beach in 2019.
Jon Rahm, 2021 champion, was frustrated to close out his round with 10 successive pars having got to two under on Thursday evening but was bogey-free for his 68.
That was a considerable feat in itself as the last time this venue hosted in 2018 no player managed a round without a dropped shot over the entire four days.
One minor drawback for many of the leaders was the quick turnaround, with most having just over half-an-hour before teeing off in their second rounds.
However, that also gave them a chance to pull further away from the likes of Rory McIlroy, looking for his first US Open victory since making his major breakthrough in 2011, and Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg, both one under and going out together on Saturday (AEST).
Chile’s Joaquin Niemann was given a two-shot penalty when he finished his first round for throwing his club on the sixth hole, the latest example of golf cracking down on bad behaviour.
The additional two shots gave Niemann an 11 on the par-4 sixth, a disastrous hole that began with two lost balls from tee shots that went well to the right in deep grass. He’d been on even par going into the hole and therefore ended it at seven over. He finished his round on Friday morning at 78.
Australia’s challenge was still being led by Adam Scott, on his landmark 100th consecutive major appearance, with an opening three-over-par 73.
