After watching his best friend Xander Schauffele win his first major title at the PGA Championship, Patrick Cantlay has his eyes on one of his own. By kicking off the 2024 US Open with a score of 65-under, the American catapulted his name to the top of the leaderboard only to be caught later in the day by his Ryder Cup nemesis, Rory McIlroy.
Cantlay and McIlroy’s matching 65 ties the lowest score at a U.S. Open held at Pinehurst, tying Martin Kaymer’s from the first and second rounds of the 2014 National Championship. More importantly, it puts both men in a position where another 65 (like the one Kaymer got) would most likely give them total control of this tournament heading into the weekend.
For Cantlay, it’s a position he’s never held before: top five in a major ranking after 18 holes. But for McIlroy, it’s a position he’s all too familiar with – notably at the US Open – where he started with sub-par rounds in the last six championship matches.
McIlroy’s inclusion at the top of the rankings surprises no one, but the same can’t be said for his counterpart. Often regarded over the past half-decade as one of the game’s most consistent players, Cantlay, 32, has been anything but that in 2024.
“I worked really hard on my game,” he said. “And usually when you make some changes and you work really hard, it’s just a matter of time.”
While it’s a recurring feature in big-money events like the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Cantlay’s presence – or lack thereof – in the major rankings has become somewhat of a talking point. The back door has been wide open for top 10s, handsome salaries and yellow boxes on Wikipedia, but it hasn’t been since the 2019 Masters, when he took the lead on Sunday night, that he’s actually been In The mixture.
Maybe, as he said, it was only a matter of time before things clicked at this point. And maybe, just like with Schauffele in Valhalla, he can change that narrative. However, Cantlay will have his work cut out for him. Not only will he have to look like a man hoping to change his own narrative directly in McIlroy’s face, but there are plenty of big hitters right behind the duo. Among them, US Open debutant Ludvig Åberg is adrift and seems almost Also comfortable on his first walk around Pinehurst.
Åberg sits at 4 under and one ahead of 2020 champion Bryson DeChambeau, who is competing in a major championship again. Like McIlroy, the hard-hitting right-hander will tee off early Friday morning and has unfinished business that he plans to take care of over the next 54 holes.
Let’s take a look at all the notables in the rankings after the first round of the 2024 US Open.
US Open 2024 rankings, first round
T1. Rory McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay (-5): After missing three consecutive cuts at the US Open from 2016 to 2018, McIlroy made this championship his best major tournament. Entering this week with five straight top 10s under his belt, he appears determined to do more than that after going one of two bogey-free rounds on Thursday. He was excellent across the board – ranking sixth in strokes gained on approach and third in strokes gained around the green – but it was what the numbers can’t measure that was most impressive. Showing a level of patience that a younger McIlroy might not have possessed, the 35-year-old cruised around Pinehurst without much stress and was rewarded with pole position with 54 to go.
“There was a little stretch at the start of the back nine where I kept hitting to 20 feet and missing putts,” McIlroy said. “I could have been frustrated, but I feel like my patience was rewarded with birdies on two of the last three holes.”
3. Ludvig Aberg (-4): Well, he certainly didn’t look like a starter on Thursday. Åberg drove all 14 fairways and connected on 16 regulation greens en route to his 66. With the same man in his bag who led Rickie Fowler to second place at the 2014 US Open, Åberg could not don’t need all the experience in the world. After missing the cut at the PGA Championship, the young Swede looked much more like the man who finished second at the Masters.
“I think it’s important to stay very disciplined,” Åberg said. “There’s a lot of bowling where you don’t really think about going. So me and Joe, my caddy, we have a lot of good conversations about certain areas that you’re trying to be successful in. It’s hard to be very, very precise with the numbers and that sort of thing But try to know where to hit it, where to miss it, make sure we stay disciplined towards things.
T4. Bryson DeChambeau, Matthieu Pavon (-3): After nearly winning the PGA Championship on a golf course that suited him perfectly, DeChambeau’s game plan at Pinehurst was one of the most intriguing question marks of the week. He answered all the questions Thursday by ranking first in strokes gained off the tee with an average of 326 yards and second in greens in regulation. Ultra aggressive with the big stick in hand and playing cautiously into the putting surfaces, he was rewarded with good scoring chance after good scoring chance, ultimately conceding four of them to just one bogey.
“I would say from a mental exhaustion standpoint, it was probably the hardest I’ve had in a long, long, long time,” DeChambeau said. “I can’t remember the last time I mentally trained myself so much to focus on the bigger parts of the green instead of looking for flags. I did that pretty well until the last few holes. ”
T6. Tony Finau, Tyrrell Hatton, Akshay Bhatia (-2): Having started his career with a string of major hits, Finau has become a bit of a forgotten man on this scene. With form in his corner, the wiry right-hander played the part in the opening round, balancing four birdies against a few bogeys. He only missed one fairway and putted well, which is huge for Finau’s chances moving forward.
“It’s important to get off to a good start in any major championship,” Finau said. “US Open, if you can put up a red number early, it’s a golf tournament that, you said it right on the button, I don’t feel like I have to do more and chase guys “I’m in a good position after the first round, which is essential if you’re trying to win a major tournament.”
T9. Sergio Garcia, Aaron Rai, Corey Conners, SH Kim, Sam Bennett, Jackson Suber (-1): Garcia was the other man, besides McIlroy, to sail through Pinehurst without dropping a shot. Taking the field as a substitute, the Spaniard showcased his veteran knowledge. At 44, El Niño might have one last major chance in him, but he’ll need to putt better to get there.
T15. Collin Morikawa, Brooks Koepka, Xander Schauffele, Tommy Fleetwood, Sepp Straka and 15 others (E): Playing side by side, Koepka and Morikawa arrived in the clubhouse with 70s in different ways. Koepka pushed it to 3 under at one point before taking on water upon entering the clubhouse. Meanwhile, Morikawa was steady for the most part, but struggled on two par 3s and made a few double bogeys along the way. Back-to-back birdies on his final two holes brought him back into parity and made lunch a little sweeter while Koepka must feel like he let a few get away from him late.
T34. Scottie Scheffler, Cameron Smith, Rickie Fowler, Max Homa and 10 others (+1): The world No. 1 has now played back-to-back rounds including last week’s final round for the first time since last year’s Open. Despite a 71, Scheffler can feel pretty good about his score. Making a number of double crosses off the tee and looking nothing like his usual self, the Masters champion hit six fairways, ranked outside the top 120 for strokes gained off the tee and did almost nothing with the putter. Despite all that, he’s only half a dozen away and more than capable of catching up quickly.
T88. Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley, Shane Lowry and 14 others (+4): Some big names are on the back side of the projected cut line. Tiger seemed to have gained momentum early Thursday with a birdie on his first hole (10th) and five consecutive pars. However, back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 brought him back down to earth, and four more on the front nine sent him into the clubhouse well off the lead as Cantlay fell low. Playing his first US Open since 2020, Tiger is looking to qualify for the national championship for the first time since 2019 and the second time since 2013.
Rick Gehman, Patrick McDonald and Greg DuCharme recap the opening round of the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Follow and listen to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts And Spotify.