It’s my 14th US Open as a golf editor and these are 38 things you might have missed on day one

Rory McIlroy's golf and Scottie Scheffler's hair grabbed the first day headlines at Pinehurst No.2.

The first round of the 2024 US Open is in the books and there were loads of talking points from the opening day of the year’s third men’s Major. From haircuts to hellish putts, I take a sideways look at my 38 favorite Thursday moments from Pinehurst.

Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy co-lead the tournament (blimey, I haven’t written their names in the same sentence since Hatgate at the Ryder Cup), Bryson DeChambeau’s in the mix again and Scottie Scheffler’s post-haircut tanlines grabbed more attention than his golf with the World No.1 producing an uncharacteristically erratic opening to his bid for a first US Open.

Here’s what’s on my mind after a long day in North Carolina. For a more serious take, make sure you check out my colleague Ross Tugwood’s view from the ground at Pinehurst.

1. When Patrick Cantlay switches driver and irons before a Major he opens with a 65 and co-leads a brutally tough Major at five-under. When I do it before a Medal I shoot 90 and curse myself all the way home. Golf, eh?

1a. Anyone but Patrick Cantlay. Please! 

1b. Okay, not anyone. Rory. Let it be Rory. He’s tied for the lead after round one, firing his best opening 18-hole score in the US Open since his record-breaking win in 2011. Since that six-under 13 years ago, McIlroy was a cumulative 14-over in his opening rounds at this Major. That’s down to nine-over after Thursday’s bogey-free five-under 65 – just the third 65 in Pinehurst’s US Open history. And the last four times he’s started a Major with a bogey-free round? Win. Win. Win. Win. I am desperate to add another Win to that sentence.

2. Don’t be fooled by the leaders, Pinehurst is playing brutally tough. Just 16 players are under par out of the 156-man field at the time of writing with a few left on the course. I won’t be surprised if even fewer are under-par after round two. See all of Friday’s tee times here.

3. Air con dread for Sun Day Red. “I can get tight in air conditioning,” 15-time Major champ Tiger Woods said after firing a four-over 74 and revealing plans to hit more balls if he could remain loose. Drivers making the cars too cool is the biggest cause of his tightness, apparently. Well, Tigers do prefer warm conditions.

4. Not since Jordan Spieth’s £9 trim at the 2019 Open have I seen a tighter haircut than Scottie Scheffler’s. Maybe the Carnoustie barber has moved to Pinehurst. Still, at least the World No.1’s looking sharp should he need another mugshot this week. 

4b. Scottie really should have considered those white bits before the cut. Anyone know a good spray tan venue in Pinehurst? 

4c. Scottie with a beard > Scottie without a beard. 

4d. After having his locks lopped off, Scheffler produced one of his worst rounds of the season, especially off the tee. Samson Scottie.

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5. Speaking of hair… Robert Rock’s hat-free and flowing locks haven’t been seen on Tour for more than 600 days, he hasn’t played a US Open since 2012 and has never played Pinehurst. Opens with a calm 70. Class is permanent. And his hair remains as magnificent as his swing.

6. Enough about hair (for now), let’s move on to Sweden’s No.1 stud Ludvig Aberg. A first US Open is meant to hit players like a brick but the youngster hit every fairway and found 16 out of 18 greens. Handsome and exceptional at golf, you’d think fate would have dealt him a vile personality just to balance things out, but he’s one of the nicest guys on Tour.

7. Confidently laughing as I promised one of our young writers that we could swap salaries if his pre-tournament winning score prediction of -12 was correct felt like a good idea at the time. I’m currently backtracking quicker than Rory on his divorce! 

8. If you’re placing bets, don’t follow TG Equipment Writer Lewis Daff’s advice. Sahith Theegala for the win, anyone? 

9. The only HyFlying Phil Mickelson’s doing this week is on his Friday jet home… AMIRITE. The LIV captain’s hopes of completing the career Grand Slam are all but over for another year after a nine-over 79, his worst opening to the US Open. 

10. The USGA tried to create a Masters cabin-esque vibe for their post-round interview area. What they achieved is a ‘late dash to IKEA’ vibe. 

11. How many nappies could Scottie buy his newborn son, Bennett, if he wins and takes home the biggest cheque in Major history? 6,718,750. That should get him through the first year.  

12. I’ve been as guilty as anyone of criticizing LIV players, but Sergio Garcia deserves huge praise after his opening 69. The Spaniard, making his 25^th successive appearance in the Major, made one birdie and 17 pars to become just the sixth man in history to go bogey-free during a US Open round at Pinehurst. I can only assume they’re going wild on the streets of Fireballs.

13. Watching McIlroy go from scrubland to scrubland on the 5^th hole felt relatable. His chip-in for birdie on the same hole did not. Like his old pal Garcia, McIlroy was also bogey-free, making him the seventh player to do so.

14. You know when the non-playable characters in a video game glitch? Someone needs to reset Hovland, Homa, and DeChambeau. And while we’re at it, let’s reset some golf rules. Stop dicking about and crack on, lads.

15. Seeing a player who has won The Masters chunk a chip gives hope to us all. Bravo Hideki Matsuyama, our duff peer.

16. What is it they say – there’s always someone worse off than you? Luckily Tiger found his good buddy Justin Thomas on the range. JT was grinding after his first round 77 so the 15-time Major champion was on hand to help out with some tips. “You lifted your head on that one,” is what we assume he’s saying.

17. We think this Major sets the record for most mentions of haircuts – and not one of them involved Tommy Fleetwood’s luscious locks. They’re the reason for both good and bad play, according to the commentators. Okay, we’ll stop talking about hair now. 

18. Ludvig Aberg was a one-year-old the last time Adam Scott missed a Major Championship – the 2001 US Open. If the Aussie manages another 23 years, Bennett Scheffler will not only be in the field but probably have multiple PGA Tour wins.

19. Laura Davies still hasn’t done any research before she goes on air.

20. Jason Day’s outfit is unusually subdued… but it’s the calm before the storm because I’ve seen a preview of Saturday’s ‘scripting’ and social media is going to go wild! 

21. Tyrrell Hatton is the most petulant golfer on the planet and I absolutely love it. Stripe an iron shot… drop the club… miss kick the club… ball lands 9ft 7in from pin… knock it in for birdie… walk away with a smile. Classic Tyrrell… never change. He’s two-under and one of three LIV players (with DeChambeau and Garcia) in the top eight after round one.

22. The definition of optimism is shouting ‘get in the hole’ every time a tee shot is hit on a par 5.

22b. The definition of annoying is shouting ‘get in the hole’ every time a tee shot is hit on a par 5. Or a par 4. Or a par 3. Or a long putt. You get it. 

23. Callaway win the battle of the specially designed Tour bags… I might be biased, though, as we have one to give away. I also like the Srixon… we happen to be giving one of those away, too. 

24. Until this week, Michael Campbell hadn’t been back to Pinehurst since his victory in 2005. If I won a Major I think I would immediately want a house built on the course and move all of my family there so I could remind them of my victory every morning forever more. 

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25. Biology teacher Colin Prater is an amateur golfer who qualified for the US Open. It’s an incredible story and he’s living a dream. End of first semester report card: Tried hard but could do better. More homework required. Grade: +9 

26. Rory McIlroy’s stinger drive had a 37-foot apex and traveled 329 yards down the middle. It’s the filthiest thing I’ve seen on my TV since binge-watching Bridgerton. 

27. I like J.T. Poston. Any man who can blade a shot out of a bunker into a waste area before hitting it back into the bunker would be welcome in my playing group. The fact he still made a six on the par-4 3^rd after doing that would make him less welcome. Triples only, please, J.T.  

28. Brooks Koepka declining post-round interviews before texting Eamon Lynch to tell him that the “lack of creativity is kinda boring” and suggesting no-one would notice because he’s “not a media favorite” seems like something the old Bryson DeChambeau might have done. How the tables have turned.

29. A week at the Masters has changed me forever. I now cannot stand seeing every member of the crowd holding their phone by their chest and watching the action through it whenever a player is nearby. Your memory can hold memories, too! 

30. I hate free drops for temporary obstructions. You hit it there, you play it, pal. 

31. Forget Rahm, DJ, Brooks, Cam Smith. Bryson DeChambeau is by far the biggest loss to the PGA Tour and weekly golf viewing. He’s pure entertainment and what’s more, he’s now likable with it.

32. After Viktor Hovland’s opening 78 (+8), coach Joe Mayo has probably put his phone on silent.

About the Author

Rob Jerram – Digital Editor

Rob specializes in the DP World Tour, PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the Ryder Cup, spending large chunks of his days reading about, writing about, and watching the tours each month.

He’s passionate about the equipment used by professional golfers and is also a font of knowledge regarding golf balls, rangefinders, golf trolleys, and golf bags, testing thousands down the years.

You can email Rob or get in touch with him on X.