Lee Westwood included a hole-out for eagle in his first-round 67 at the US Open, which he completed on Friday after a range of weather delays.
‘It’s obviously a frustrating day having to keep coming off, but there’s nothing you can do about the weather. I’m playing well though, playing nicely,’ he said after making the clubhouse one shot behind leader Andrew Landry.
Westwood started on the 10th at Oakmont Country Club and birdied the 12th hole (a 684-yard par-five) to get his round moving. He suffered a bogey at the 13th, but made amends when he sank his approach shot for eagle at the 14th, which was the easiest hole at the 2007 US Open.
‘The eagle was a four iron and then a wedge from 128 yards that landed right of the hole and screwed sideways in, which was nice,’ he summarised.
The Englishman made the turn in 33, but faltered going into his second loop and gave back shots at the first and second. The 43-year-old shrugged off the disappointment and drained a 60-footer for birdie at the fourth to return to red figures.
He was dialled in over the closing holes and hit a superb approach to 10 feet at the par-three eighth, which was playing to a cool 258 yards. He poured in the putt to reach two-under-par heading to the ninth.
The world number 30 played the final hole of his first round with aplomb – he found the middle of the fairway, hit his second to five feet, and converted for birdie and a round of three-under-par.
Rory McIlroy, on the other hand, was unable to get anything going and battled around in 77, his worst score in a US Open.
The Northern Irishman went out in a respectable 37 blows that included three bogeys and one birdie, but fell apart coming down the stretch.
He bogeyed five of his final seven holes and signed for seven-over-par, leaving himself in a share of 107th.
