Highlights: 2026 U.S. Open, Round 1
Look back at the best moments from the opening day of the 126th U.S. Open, where weather delays forced Round 1 to be suspended late, setting up an early-morning finish ahead of Round 2 on Friday at Shinnecock Hills.
Video Transcript
Hamilton Coleman, one of 20 amateurs in the field this week.
I think 12 is a hole that they can attack.
This pin is on the right hole location.
There's not much over there.
There's no runoffs.
Balls will feed from the center of the green.
The key is getting the ball in the fairway, and he has pushed that well up the fairway.
That's about 360 off the tee.
James Nicholas, the man who hit the opening tee shot here.
Born in New York City.
Up and over that false front.
Still looking for the first birdie of the championship.
Could come here.
Fitting for the man from New York.
Unexpectedly, but good for him.
Birdie putt, Brandon Wu.
Tracking.
Well, that- Oh, man.
Brandon Wu.
We've, we've knocked the top off this hole.
All of a sudden it's opened up.
And Jaden Schaper.
Had a great finish to his DP World Tour year last year.
Couple of wins late in the season.
Can't be more than a pitching wedge.
There you go.
Fly it on top of that false front, and that is an excellent shot from Schaper.
Nice shot, birdie.
Beautiful.
Well played.
Again, always been a real softness to his short game, don't you think, Jim?
Absolutely.
Now, Keegan Bradley.
Sit.
Asking it to sit, and it does.
Great shot.
The best we've seen all day.
Ricky Fowler playing in his 15th U.S. Open.
Well, would, would, would the golf community love to see Ricky get in contention?
If he hits a few more like that, Steve, we might just see that exact scenario play out.
Well, a great opportunity to get it back to even par.
Set.
Rory talked a lot about just trying to play to the center of the greens and putt to the edges.
Well, there's a good example right there, right in the center of the green.
Well played.
Ooh, good start for McIlroy.
This is the third of 15 for Harrington.
A moment ago.
That's not easy to do around here.
No, it is not.
Hold it open, grip it a little tighter so it doesn't turn over and go left.
And it's a gap wedge, so you just want to keep the speed up to get the spin, or else the wind's gonna knock it out of the air, which is what it did.
But well played.
That is a dime right there if it stays on the green.
And that is a well-played U.S. Open shot at Shinnecock, Steve.
Rory McIlroy trying to add to another birdie total for him.
A little bit cautious about it as it runs to the right.
Oh.
Oh.
That goes in for two under par.
That is an absolute steal right there.
Out of position off the tee.
Kind of decent lie in the rough, and it's hit or miss when players find that primary and takes advantage.
Well done.
It's on a slight downhill lie, which will actually help flight the ball a little bit.
Again, wind moving from left to right.
He's got about 10 paces in front of it he can carry over that false front.
This looks great.
Yeah, there we go.
So what a difference between playing out of the rough versus playing out of the fairway.
And the, the cart path kind of cuts in and blocks his view, so when the fans come up the cart path, he can't see the flag stick.
So that's what he's kinda trying to get some fans away from- Choke it down his visual.
Choke it down, cut across, hold the face open.
Let's go, Scotty.
Oh, should be up there.
There we go.
Let's go, Scotty.
Wow, that is a nice layup.
I, I didn't see that one, Erin.
That, that is a great layup into a very narrow section of that.
Okay, berg now for birdie.
And a lot of this hole is slightly protected because of the nature of the slope, but this green is very exposed.
It's gonna be a slow putt back into the wind.
Well, he hit it firmly enough.
Yes.
Whoa.
And berg is tied for the lead.
Good-looking shot.
Little spin.
Oh, this could be really good.
Oh, it is.
What a shot for McIlroy.
I mean, a little more momentum on that ball and it potentially could've gone in.
At the ninth, Sahith Theegala.
It's a good drive there.
Only 161 left.
It does play 12 yards uphill.
But with a short iron in your hand, that's what you can do.
There it is.
And a great leave, by the way, right underneath the hole.
Oh, right.
This came out dead right.
Oh, wow.
Oh, oh, oh.
Cart path and then some.
And you saw his reaction immediately.
Yeah, it's interesting.
You know, usually you get in that heavy grass, something heel catches, it goes left.
right is a little bit of a surprise It almost appears like there's something under the ball after he swings, like, that may have ricocheted, maybe opened the club.
That was hot.
I mean, that was immediately- Yeah right off the face.
Come on, Rory.
Good contact there.
Quality play.
Really good.
I didn't think he was gonna be able to keep it that short of the pin.
This'll be some save for McIlroy here at the fourth, Bones.
Boy, holy cow, it would be.
Lot of wind from his right to left.
Could really affect the break.
Oh, wow.
You know, Bones, when he hit that second shot, I thought that brought double bogey into play, and here he turns around and he saves par.
It's a huge momentum swing.
Yeah, gave us a little fist pump there too.
That was nice.
With authority, with confidence, from 18 feet.
What a save.
It's only, he had three starts since winning the Masters.
And right on his average at 187.
Is it gonna be in the fairway?
that is a yes.
And a long ways down there.
Man, when his driver is on, Kurt, it is something else.
I mean, it When is it not on?
Just a, a slight upward attack on the ball, and absolutely launched down there.
It How about that?
McIlroy, longest drive of the day, 396.
Man.
Turned it loose there.
Bones, four yards short of 400.
Amazing.
This could be as little as nine iron here.
Takes a rip at it, and this is getting after the flag.
Oh.
Wow, that's gonna be an eagle look for McIlroy.
Launched to the moon with that club.
Nine years, and it was worth the wait- for McIlroy.
He now has the lead at three under par here at Shinnecock.
Only the second eagle of the day there at five.
We saw Keith Mitchell earlier.
He was the only other player to make it.
I cannot believe that stat that you brought up.
That's, that's pretty wild.
That comes from Harrison Root over here to the left of us.
Of course it does.
Wow.
Did you see, did you see right at the end?
The wind was trying to blow it away from the hole, and it almost blew it out of the hole.
Second shot up coming for Sam Stevens.
Get this on the middle of the green.
Safe.
Give yourself a look.
Try to finish strong, just like this.
Even better than just the middle of the green.
Good shot.
Great shot in there.
It's a terrific look.
No matter if he makes this or not.
Great finish.
What a start to the US Open for Sam Stevens.
He started his day on the 10th hole.
He spun it off the par 4 10th, back down in the valley, made double bogey.
This hole location back, left center of the green.
Good chance to attack.
We talked about it.
This hole's 520 yards, but- One-handed finish.
He doesn't seem to like that one.
Oh, that's Hideki-like.
Are you kidding me?
Oh.
That was a massive Hideki move right there.
Remember the approach from Adrian Dumont de Chassart?
Tap in birdie- for the man from Belgium.
Andrew Putnam, his second at one.
Let's see if he can judge that coming in there with a sand wedge.
Yes, can.
And one.
That might be the best shot we've seen all day right there.
Aaron Rai.
Boy, he hit some great iron shots down the stretch, and this appears to be on a good line as well.
600 his last 10 holes from 9 all the way to 18 on Sunday at Rocknroll was amazing, just like that shot right there at the par three.
And a chance to share.
Yes.
The 21-year-old.
He's a two-time All-American at Oklahoma with a big putt.
Man- Three putt.
We're finding ourselves, right?
Yes, we do.
Lyndon Clark, now the US Open champ.
This for birdie at 10.
Yes.
Great start.
And he's been playing really well as of late.
Sure has.
Terry mentioned he's been playing well.
Of course, picked up that win at the Byron Nelson.
He was in contention.
Oh.
Oh.
Another one tight at 11.
In contention.
In contention at the Memorial as well.
We saw Aaron Rai make one at 11.
Can he do it here at 13?
Yes, he can.
Yeah.
Very comfortable as a major champion all of a sudden.
You know, it's gusting in the low 30s.
Harber at 17.
Another one of those 20 amateurs in the field this week.
Oh, big first bounce there.
And now riding slow.
Come on.
That close was gone.
Nice hit.
Oh, he did remember the hole.
Xander Schauffele.
Already has two majors on his resume.
This to tie for the lead early in his first round.
This guy's always in it at the US Open.
And he is early on.
Boy, if he putts like that this week That's been the one thing this year that's been kinda holding him back.
First major championship ever played.
And Cowan has a chance to have the lead all to himself if this goes in.
And it does.
The amateur is leading the way here at the US Open on a Thursday afternoon.
Just outside the top 10 last week in Canada.
Preston Stout, another amateur, at the seventh.
Yeah, if there was an amateur prior to the week's start that young players had penciled in in terms of maybe- He's already made one putt from a decent distance.
Let's see if he can make it two.
Norcahl into red figures.
Easier scoring average.
We'll see where that ends up by the end of the day.
This is Hisatsune for birdie at the eighth.
Real long roll in there to join the group in red figures.
Check in with Ben Coles over at the 14th for birdie.
Close.
Qualifier back on June 8th at Woodmont Country Club's North Course to earn his spot here.
You can probably see the bottom of the hole here.
He just has to barely tap it.
And just like that, you've got two amateurs.
This a new putter in his bag this week.
I mean, you kind of watch the trends.
Players see what other guys are using, and Patrick- And this guy is a very talented young 24-year-old from Wake Forest.
You see that there.
Took advantage of a huge opportunity getting that sponsor invite.
Over at the ninth, this is Corey Conners coming up from 175.
Oh, his draw will be magnified with this right to left breeze.
You can see it moving.
So much elevation on that second shot up to the green, and Conners just judges it almost perfectly.
Yeah, it's getting better and better and better.
Now almost below the hole for him.
Flipping to his second nine of the day, Fitzpatrick's second at the first.
Oh, good.
Beautiful shot.
Right- Trying to join the men in red figures.
Got it.
He's done a nice job adjusting.
You know, seeing that you can float it all the way to a back hole location, it's not gonna go over the green.
This old course with plenty of undulations, not only on the greens, but on the fairways, especially here at the ninth.
When you're playing from the bottom of the hill here, you don't expect that ball- Oh.
First off, to go in the hole, but number two, just how much that wind really affects it when it gets into the air.
That is so good.
That's got a chance for a two.
And Wyndham Clark will get a bit of a teach here as well.
Just around it goes.
Skying a seven iron.
This thing is gonna go, fly all the way back there.
That was a big time high draw.
That was amazing.
Should be a straighter putt than the other two.
Just a hair to his left.
Yeah.
Not a lot of twos.
Resides over Shinnecock.
And this is Fitzpatrick to tie the group at two under at the third.
And we've got another- Wow US Open champion in there.
And Fitzy didn't get off to the best start today, but man, has he turned it on.
He's just such an excellent ball striker.
He finds fairways time and time and again, and an excellent iron player, especially in this wind.
Con- control- controlling your golf ball is so important, where you leave it.
All right, Clark for birdie to grab the solo lead.
Yes.
Out.
In control of his game.
These guys are feeding off each other.
It's a really good grouping.
And throw Gary Woodland in the mix too.
Over the ball.
Yeah, in these windy conditions, full commitment required.
That just a holding nine iron on a terrific line.
He's in the zone.
DJ getting after it today, huh?
Wow.
Making it look simple and easy.
An anything but test here at Shinnecock.
Wyndham Clark moves it to four under.
He simply loves Shinnecock.
He loves a hard golf course.
Claude told me he said to DJ earlier in the week- Yes.
Let's go DJ "Wow, this is gonna be hard."
Let's go buddy And DJ said, "Good.
The harder, the better."
He's making it look easy right now.
Carried four birdies in a row.
But now for the birdie for Fitzpatrick.
A disappointing par from where he was, but that's all right.
That's how you do it.
After giving After leaving the eagle putt way short, that is now ripping off Trying to take something off that eight iron, cutting it right towards the flagstick.
If it hangs in- Wow that was the right club.
Oh, wow.
How about a kick-in eagle?
One of the best shots we've seen all day from Wyndham Clark.
And to six under goes Wyndham Clark.
And the third eagle of the day.
Like you mentioned earlier, the USGA's done a great job with dialing this course in today.
23-year-old Jack Schoenberger.
Tee ball on the way at 11.
Right over the stick and bringing it back.
Wow.
Oh.
That, that would've been a memory
