US Open: Justin Thomas sails ahead on a 65

On a morning full of possibilities the early birds collected most of the worms on the West Course at Winged Foot Golf Club in New York. The 120th US Open got off to a blistering start with Justin Thomas firing himself into the lead with an invaluable 65 in the opening round. Patrick Reed shot 66 while Rory McIlroy was a further stroke back after all three men went out in the morning wave.

Thomas Pieters and Matthew Wolff played with great patience and determination in producing a 66 to join Reed near the top. South African Louis Oosthuizen and Englishman Lee Westwood joined McIlroy by shooting 67. Pieters and the three men at T5 started their rounds on the 10th tee on Thursday.

The greens at the notoriously wicked course were playing uncharacteristically benign and some clever golf from the men at the top went rewarded during the early rounds on Thursday.

But it wasn’t the professionals that had the first word. 21-year-old University of Georgia Senior, Davis Thompson sent imagination floating as he took charge of the leaderboard at 4-under through twelve holes. The 4th ranked amateur golfer cushioned his card with a hat-trick of birdies from the 6th, but the finishing stretch, and perhaps the burden of leading a major, pulled him back to one-under 69 as he returned to the clubhouse with plenty to cheer.

Thomas was impressive all day, firing four birdies in six holes from the par-4 sixth hole. He made a hat-trick of birdies from the ninth after conceding his early birdie with a bogey at the par-3 third. The former PGA Champion finished the day with his sixth birdie of the round for a 5-under total.

65 is the lowest score at a US Open on the iconic course where four of its past five champions finished over par for the week.

“I guess if there’s a way to say it’s more enjoyable to get your butt kicked, I guess that’s the case,” Thomas said of navigating his way around Winged Foot on Thursday. “It’s a beautiful course. I just think it’s a really, really cool golf course,” said a thrilled Thomas.

“It means a lot. It’s my country’s championship, it’s the U.S. Open,” he added, trying to explain what it might mean to remain on top through Sunday. “You could argue that it’s one of the hardest ones to win, just because of how grueling and tough it can be from time to time.”

McIlroy, freshly minted into fatherhood, played with fresh energy. He started the round with a bogey five on the opening hole, but that was to be the only blemish on the card. McIlroy made amends quickly with a birdie on the third. He came home to a 67, adding birdies at the 10th, 13th and 18th holes.

Reed took a punch on the 483-yard, par-4 fifth hole. After going left off the tee, his second shot landed in the bunker. Reed left himself short of the front face of the green with his third, taking three strokes from there for a double bogey. But he played with remarkable vigour from there.

A birdie on the sixth helped ease some of the damage and he returned to even par with a sensational ace on the par-3 7th hole, only the third at Winged Foot in a US Open. Reed added three birdies in four holes from the twelfth to account for his 66.