1. At the top: JT (-5), Reed, (-4) David Shefter for the USGA…“This venue that has dished out more over-par winning U.S. Open scores than any other in the post-World War II era (3) offered some leniency on Thursday in the opening round of the championship’s 120th rendition.” “Perfect weather conditions coupled with receptive greens led to some of the world’s best players turning the tables on this challenging layout.” “Led by Justin Thomas’ 5-under 65 – the lowest round ever recorded in a U.S. Open contested at Winged Foot – 21 players posted sub-70 scores on the 7,416-yard, par-70 West Course designed by A.W. Tillinghast. Thomas, the 2017 PGA champion, has plenty of company at the top of the leader board. Patrick Reed, the 2018 Masters champion, carded a 66 that included a hole-in-one. He is joined at that number by a pair of NCAA champions, Thomas Pieters (2012) and Matthew Wolff (2019).” “Rory McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champion, is among a group two strokes back, along with Louis Oosthuizen and 47-year-old Lee Westwood.” Full piece. 2. Rory starts strong Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“The most technical reason Rory McIlroy could give for why his opening rounds in major championships haven’t been his best in recent years was also the simplest: golf.” “Maybe putting myself under a little too much pressure to get off to a good start,” McIlroy said. “The first round of a major you’re always anxious to play well, and maybe I’ve overthought it at times. I just went out today and just took what was given to me a little more relaxed and played really nicely.” “That “relaxed” approach lifted him to a first-round 67 at Winged Foot, McIlroy’s lowest opening round at the U.S. Open since 2011, the U.S. Open that McIlroy won. It was also the lowest opening round for the Northern Irishman in any major since the 2014 PGA Championship, which he also won. In those 20 starts, he had a 72.35 scoring average.” Full piece. 3. The great Peacock switch Golfweek’s Todd Kelly…“NBC has a new app, maybe you’ve heard of it, or even Googled it. It’s called Peacock.” “If you’re trying to watch the U.S. Open Thursday afternoon and you can’t find it, you probably feel like flipping someone the bird.” “The 120th U.S. Open was on Golf Channel for six and a half hours earlier in the day and then on good old, over-the-air, free NBC for three hours but the final two hours of live golf have switched over to Peacock.” “Problem is, Peacock doesn’t quite have Netflix-level penetration across the U.S. and many sports fans are probably still scrambling as this story was being typed, looking for that app..” Full piece. 4. Opportunities squandered and a 73 for Tiger Mark Cannizzaro at the NY Post…“Tiger Woods had his chances. Then he blew them.” “Woods, 44, was on the cusp of vaulting himself into contention in Thursday’s U.S. Open first round at Winged Foot with a string of three birdies from Nos. 9 through 11 to get to 1-under par.” “Then it all went wrong for him. In the end, Woods was victimized by too many unforced errors and tumbled down the leaderboard with a 3-over 73. He is in a tie for 71st place, eight shots out of the lead held by Justin Thomas, one of his playing partners.” “After the round, Woods, who finished with a sloppy double bogey on the 18th hole, referenced his poor finish no fewer than six times, obviously agitated by it.” Full piece. 5. DJ struggles Golf Channel’s Ryan Lavner…“On a day of record-low scoring at Winged Foot, Dustin Johnson could only manage a 3-over 73.” “The world No. 1 made only two birdies in softer, easier conditions Thursday to sit eight shots off the lead of Justin Thomas, whose 5-under 65 was the lowest score in six U.S. Opens held here.” “I didn’t play great, didn’t make any putts,” Johnson said. “Obviously tomorrow, if I shoot a few under, I’ll get back in the golf tournament.” Full piece. 6. …Phil too AP report…”He found a grand total of two fairways over a 5-hour slog through the thick grass, sand and greens that he couldn’t figure out. He three-putted twice over the final four holes — including once from inside of 9 feet — and finished at 9-over 79. That tied his worst opening round in any major in his career.” Full piece. 7. …and Spieth Here’s the first helping of an excellent piece from Cameron Morfit at PGATour.com on Jordan Spieth’s opening round…”Jordan Spieth sounded exhausted. Frustrated. Cooked.” “His 3-over 73 was far from the worst round at the 120th U.S. Open at Winged Foot, but it might have been the most eventful. He got his ball stuck in a tree (second hole, double-bogey), made three straight birdies (holes 4-6), hit just three fairways (Phil Mickelson style), and putted well (Jordan Spieth style).” “At least there, on the greens, the 27-year-old still looks like the 2015 FedExCup champion.” “There’s a lot that’s off,” he said. “I’m not really sure. If I knew, I’d fix it. So I’m kind of just – kind of working through it and looking forward to having a little more time off to figure it out. “I mean, yeah, I’m late behind it,” he added. “The second I try to get back out in front of, it’s hooking.” Full piece. 8. Kinder gentler Winged Foot Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard…“Few sports cling to the past like golf and Winged Foot’s history is a brutish tale. In ’74, there were eight rounds under par … for the week. In ’06 when Ogilvy won – and, yes, Phil Mickelson lost – there were a dozen under-par rounds for the week and just one on Thursday, when the scoring average ballooned to a soul-crushing 75.98. By comparison, Thursday’s average of 72.42 looked like a typo.” “There were two holes-in-one on Thursday, both at the par-3 seventh; Louis Oosthuizen holed out for eagle at the par-4 second hole from 148 yards; Rory Sabbatini had seven birdies on his card. And there were several more long shots and long putts that found the bottom of the cup in Round 1.” “In the preamble to this week’s championship many players warned of the approaching storm that is the West Course, but some were comfortable acknowledging soft greens and perfect scoring conditions.” “I did a radio show yesterday and told them I think guys will shoot 3 and 4 under … I could see somebody being 4 or 5 under through two rounds,” Brendon Todd, who carded a 68, said before offering an ominous warning, “then a little harder on the weekend.” Full piece. 9. Davis Thompson and the all-Georgia threesome More good stuff from Cameron Morfit of PGATour.com reporting from the Winged Foot. “The phone was in the bag. He put it there before the round, and by golly, it was going to stay there. Instead of snapping a photo, caddie Todd Thompson looked at the leaderboard and burned it into his memory.

He put it there before the round, and by golly, it was going to stay there. Instead of snapping a photo, caddie Todd Thompson looked at the leaderboard and burned it into his memory. “Davis Thompson, his 21-year-old son, was at 4-under-par and leading the 120th U.S. Open.”

was at 4-under-par and leading the 120th U.S. Open.” “It was cool to see his name up there,” said Todd, who in his day job is the tournament director for The RSM Classic, the PGA TOUR’s regular stop in St. Simons Island, Georgia.”

who in his day job is the tournament director for The RSM Classic, the PGA TOUR’s regular stop in St. Simons Island, Georgia.” “Cool? Well, OK, that’s an understatement, but then Todd and his son are understated guys.” “Thompson bogeyed three of the last six holes for a 1-under 69 at Winged Foot, just four back of early leader Justin Thomas, while playing partners Harris English and Brendon Todd each shot 68. The all-Georgia group were the only threesome to all shoot under par in the morning wave.” Full piece.