Day driven off in cart as Aussies chewed up in brutal start to US Open
Jason Day had to withdraw from the US Open midway through the first round with a back injury.
The Aussie former world No.1 was seen wincing in pain as he warmed up on the range ahead, but teed off and played 10 holes through the pain before he finally pulled the pin.
Jason Day holding his back on his fifth hole before withdrawing from the US Open. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert
He was 7-over par when he was driven off the course in a cart.
The 38-year-old finished 12th at The Masters and had been hoping for a solid showing at Shinnecock Hills.
The opening round has been brutal on the five – now four – Australians in the field.
Playing in his 100th consecutive major, Adam Scott is the best of them at 3-over, a shot ahead of Lucas Herbert, who’s also a shot ahead of Cameron Smith.
Midway through his first round, Min Woo Lee made four consecutive bogeys and is yet to make a birdie. He made the turn 4-over par.
As is customary at the US Open, where conditions are famously brutal, scoring has been difficult. American Sam Smith held the early clubhouse lead with a 2-under 68.
Just to add to the difficulty, the course was blanketed in a thick layer of fog, which triggered a suspension of play after only a handful of players had started their rounds.
The delay lasted nearly two hours, and has caused a flow-on affect that could stretch into the weekend. Players who teed off later in the day are unlikely to finish their rounds before dark, and will have to do so before second round play can begin.
The difficulty of the course has caught out the best in the world. Rory McIlroy signed for a 1-over 71, Scottie Scheffler is 2-over, Brooks Koepka at 3-over. Defending champion JJ Spaun is 7-over.
Scheffler said the course set-up, with long rough and fast greens, meant there was zero margin for error.
“You had to be hitting a great shot if you wanted to avoid a punishment … I think ‘good’ would put you in some tough spots,” he said.
Scottie Scheffler had a tough opening to the US Open. Getty Images
Scheffler needs a US Open victory to complete the career grand slam.
Scheffler made a double bogey on No.8 after his tee shot found the rough, his second a bunker some 35m from the hole. He then three-putted.
He hit a wedge from 100m to the middle of the 13th green, but the ball spun and rolled off the front. That led to another bogey. Having teed off on the 10th, he made the turn 3-over before steadying on his second nine.
“Overall, yeah, it was a really challenging day,” Scheffler said.
“If you told me when I was staring at my par putt on No.9 that I would post 2-over today, I would definitely have taken it at the time. I feel like this course can change pretty rapidly from day to day. That’s also part of the challenge of the tournament is adjusting to those conditions.”
The forecast for the rest of the weekend is for windy conditions, with several players tipping the victor will come from who survives the best.