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U.S. Open 2018 leaderboard: Who is leading after Round 1?

By Kyle Walton

SOUTHAMPTON, NY - JUNE 12: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during a practice round prior to the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 12, 2018 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, NY - JUNE 12: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays his shot from the seventh tee during a practice round prior to the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 12, 2018 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /
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The opening round of the 2018 U.S. Open is in the books. Let’s take a moment and check out who is toward the top of the leaderboard heading into Friday.

The winds blew and the greens quickened throughout the entire opening round of the 2018 U.S. Open. Golf’s top stars faltered early as each of the 156 competitors fought just to play a round at even par. As winds whistled consistently at 16 mph and gusted up to 35, birdies quickly became a premium while bogeys, in many cases, were a blessing in their own.

The 118th playing of the U.S. Open kicked off with a featured threesome boasting 12 major victories between them. Unfortunately past victories meant nothing during a daunting opening round at Shinnecock Hills. From the opening drive Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy stumbled in the opening stretch as they rounded out the first nine at a collective 24-over par.

While past major champions fell apart, two journeymen of professional golf turned in the first under par rounds of the day. Las Vegas native Scott Piercy was part of the first grouping of the day as he took advantage of the early conditions to card an opening round of 1-under. Roughly an hour later, and 14 years after making his U.S. Open debut at none other than Shinnecock, Ian Poulter matched Piercy after opening with two early birdies on his front nine.

For a brief moment in time Russell Henley performed the nearly Herculean task of getting his round to 3-under par. An eagle at the par-5 fifth hole followed by two birdies over the next three holes gave Henley the outright lead momentarily. Two holes later the course fought back as the former University of Georgia grad carded a double bogey.

Here are the Top-12 and other notables following Round One of the 2018 U.S. Open.

T1. Dustin Johnson -1
T1. Russell Henley -1
T1. Scott Piercy -1
T1. Ian Poulter -1
5. Jason Dufner E
T6. Matthieu Pavon +1
T6. Justin Rose +1
T6. Charles Howell +1
T6. Charley Hoffman +1
T6. Sam Burns +1
T6. Henrik Stenson +1
T6. Byeong Hun An +1

T19. Rickie Fowler +3
T19. Patrick Reed +3
T37. Justin Thomas +4
T46. Brooks Koepka +5
T46. Sergio Garcia +5
T87. Phil Mickelson +7
T101. Tiger Woods +8
T101. Jordan Spieth +8
T114. Jason Day +9
T128. Rory McIlroy +10

On a day where the average score was 76 (+6), errant drives and three putts were common sightings, the number one ranked golfer in the world proved his place among golf’s elite. Playing alongside Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson bounced back and forth between a share of and the outright lead on multiple occasions. After finding the green in regulation in five of his first six holes it became evident early on that last week’s FedEx St. Jude Classic winner was looking to lock in back to back victories.

Next: U.S. Open 2018 preview: Predictions, picks and upsets

At the close of the business day Thursday, Johnson found himself in a four-way tie for first place with an opening round 1-under 69. Fan favorites like Rickie Fowler (+3), Patrick Reed (+3) and defending champion Brooks Koepka (+5) remain trailing but still alive. Rest assured another windy day on Friday is sure to entice some fireworks with the cutline looming.

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