Quick work: Landry makes putt for 66, leads US Open

Late in Round 1 with playing partners Sergio Garcia and Hideki Matsuyama waiting with drivers to try and reach the green, Johnson – the guy who is leading the field with a 320-yard average – smoothed a 5-iron into the fairway, safely punched a wedge to 25 feet and two-putted for par. It ended with a shot so far right that it was beyond the gallery and a shot right of the green that he couldn’t get up-and-down.

Sullivan felt being forced to play 36 holes in one day actually worked in his favour, the 30-year-old adding: ” I played really well in the morning and I used that momentum to carry on into this afternoon.

USA’s Andrew Landry in action during the US Open first round in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, on Thursday.

“Right now I’m just trying to stay as positive as I can”. If the lead stands after the second round is over, it would match the lowest 36-hole score in a U.S. Open at Oakmont.

Might as well hit the “restart” button on this U.S. Open. Four bogeys on his card may have outnumbered the two birdies, but the Dallas native is in this thing for the long haul also known as the nearly 36 holes he will likely have to complete today.

The numbers would suggest otherwise, at least for an opening round.

“Honestly, I’ve been struggling with my swing, even the practice rounds a little bit”, McIlroy said.

A hat-trick of gains around the turn lifted Bubba Watson as part of an 11-strong group under par for the tournament, with 2007 champion Angel Cabrera beginning his week with a level-par 70.

After scrambling for par on his first two holes, Johnson was ideal the rest of the way, finishing his round with three birdies and, more importantly, no bogeys.

“It’s one of the best [US Open] starts I’ve ever had”, the 43-year-old said.

“In this event you have to recognise that you can hit good shots that don’t end up in the places you thought they would”, he said. I was shaping it both ways, which you need to do in US Opens to get at a lot of the flags.

Rory McIlroy had a 77, while Rickie Fowler shot 76.

World No 1 Jason Day didn’t start the first round until Friday, but he struggled all the same. Phil Mickelson was in danger of missing the cut for the second straight time at Oakmont.

The dynamic of this US Open is not so much confusing as a proper puzzle. By the time he made his first birdie of the round at the par-4 14th it nudged him back to four over par. As second-round play was suspended due to darkness Friday evening, Dustin Johnson and Andrew Landy remain at the top of the leaderboard. The 28-year-old Texan says he plans to nap and do some laundry while 78 players start their first rounds after they were delayed by rain on Thursday. That was almost two shots harder than the second half of the draw.

Oakmont still had plenty of bite for the best players.

‘There’s Ascot, the football and I might even watch a bit of the golf, so it looks like it will be spent in front of the television, ‘ he said, smiling. “I know I’m capable of it. I’m (still) in it”, said Spieth, the defending champion. That left a big disparity in how many holes golfers in the 156-man field had to play Friday.

Mickelson, who needs the U.S. Open title to complete the career Grand Slam, was 1 under when he made the turn.

Heading back out for his second round after a short break, the pre-tournament favourite is one-under through seven holes but at five-over overall is still in a battle just to make the cut, let alone win his second major. He earned a spot in the U.S. Open by getting through sectional qualifying.

“I told myself so many times over the years in my life that if I get into the U.S. Open…” I just need to focus on trying to hit fairways and hit greens.