When you have adopted any protection main as much as the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, that this course is all in regards to the greens.
You should have your quick recreation on level round these loopy placing surfaces. You must make loads of putts, too.
Patrick Cantlay did simply that on Thursday, which explains why he carded a formidable opening spherical 5-under 65. He gained 3.8 strokes across the greens, which ranks first among the many discipline. He additionally hit loads of cast-iron photographs, gaining 2.15 strokes on method.
His spherical bought off to an exhilarating begin on the par-4 eleventh, the place he holed out for birdie from the sand, which offered an enormous momentum increase early.
He then dropped a shot on the par-3 fifteenth, his solely bogey of the day, however bounced again with a birdie on the 18th to publish a 1-under 34 to begin. Having began on 10, he made the flip in the direction of the entrance, the place extra alternatives introduced themselves.
Cantlay birdied the first gap, because of a spectacular method that landed 5 toes away. Two extra birdies adopted on the par-5 fifth and par-3 sixth, the latter of which got here on one of the crucial difficult holes on the property. He drained a 20-footer there for his fifth par-breaker of the day, vaulting himself to 4-under for the event.
However his self-described greatest second of the day got here on the par-4 seventh.
“I bought the ball up and down on 7, made a bunch of putts inside, eight toes,” Cantlay mentioned.
“I feel round this golf course, you’re going to go away your self putts inside eight toes. That four-to-eight-foot vary. It will be significant that you simply gap out. I did that properly in the present day.”
After lacking the golf green proper, Cantlay hit his method simply in need of the inexperienced on 7. He then chipped as much as 5-feet away and drained the putt.
Then, on the following gap, the 486-yard par-4 eighth, Cantlay hit his second shot to 4 toes, which arrange his fifth—and ultimate—birdie of the day.
He now leads Ludvig Åberg by a stroke at 5-under par on a course that can solely get more durable because the championship wears on. Cantlay admitted that he didn’t have a rating in thoughts this morning however is aware of probably the most difficult moments are but to come back.
“I didn’t suppose a lot of [the score],” Cantlay mentioned. I knew going off at 7:40 within the morning, it was going to play possibly the simplest it’s going to play all week, with the dearth of wind and doubtless the softest we are going to see it. I’m actually proud of the spherical I performed in the present day.”
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.
