The inaugural day of competition at the 2024 US Open Golf Tournament, hosted at the esteemed Pinehurst No. 2, yielded a plethora of captivating moments and unforeseen outcomes. The renowned course presented a formidable test for the world’s premier male golfers, with only 16 competitors managing to achieve a score below par.
The defending US Open champion, Wyndham Clark, revered golfing icon Tiger Woods, and Norwegian prodigy Viktor Hovland are among the distinguished figures in need of a commanding performance to clinch advancement to the subsequent round of the tournament. The cut line, set at two-over par, necessitates an under-par or level-par round on Friday to progress to the weekend, as only the top 60 players, including ties, will move forward.
Wyndham Clark encountered a tentative start, tallying four bogeys and a solitary birdie in his initial 13 holes. Nevertheless, a resolute finish—registering five consecutive pars—hints at a potential resurgence in his form for the second round. Scheduled for an early tee time on Friday, Clark is poised for an improved outing. The course exhibited notably more arduous playing conditions under the scorching afternoon sun, resulting in the top scores of the day being garnered during the morning wave.
Viktor Hovland weathered a notably arduous first round, amassing six bogeys and two double bogeys, culminating in a score of eight-over 78. Hovland encountered substantial difficulties on the back nine but demonstrated discernible signs of progress on the front, offering promise for a more robust performance in the subsequent round. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods’ score of four-over 74 positions him at risk of missing the cut. Woods must replicate or indeed surpass his performance to secure a berth in his second major cut of 2024.
The capricious nature of golf renders it challenging to make audacious prognostications, yet the potential for these athletes to triumph should not be discounted. All eyes will be fixated on them as they endeavor to surmount the obstacles and secure their berth in the ensuing round of the 2024 US Open Golf Tournament.