Johnson and Stenson share early lead while Tiger cards 80

ByMaxwell Ward

Updated 19/06/2015 at 06:47 GMT

Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson set the first-round pace at the U.S. Open on Thursday on a day of remarkable highs and lows as Tiger Woods shot an 80, his fourth-worst score as a professional.

The long-hitting Johnson piled up six birdies and a lone bogey to finish level with Stenson, who birdied four of his last five holes at the British Open-style venue in the year's second major, being played for the first time in the Pacific Northwest.

Henrik Stenson hits his tee shot on the 18th hole

Image credit: Reuters

They were one stroke ahead of American Patrick Reed while Americans Matt Kuchar, Ben Martin and amateur Brian Campbell trailed by two.

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"I hit the ball really well ... had a lot of good looks at birdie all day," Johnson, who like Stenson is seeking a first major title, told reporters.

"It's firm but you could control your golf ball, for sure. Today I controlled my ball very well. The confidence is definitely there. I feel really good about where I'm at and going into tomorrow."

Stenson joined Johnson at the top after draining a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a homeward nine of four-under 31.

"It was a good day," said the Swedish world number six. "I was striking it nicely, which led to a lot of birdie opportunities for me.

"I felt like I was really keeping my patience and a level head out there. I hit some beautiful putts and managed to slip a few in there. It was a good way to finish the day."

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Mickelson, who is yearning to complete a career grand slam of the four majors by winning his first U.S. Open, was "very pleased" after carding a 69 that included four birdies and three bogeys.

"I hit a lot of good shots today," Mickelson, a runner-up at the US Open a record six times, said after hitting nine of 14 fairways and totalling 31 putts. "I shot under par the first day of the U.S. Open.

"The first round was the round I was going to be most nervous at, getting started. You don't want to have to fight to come back all the time. You want to get off to a solid start around par.

"I'm very pleased with the way the round went."

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It was an average morning for Northern Ireland's world number one Rory McIlroy. Seeking his fifth major victory, he birdied his second hole but never got into top gear as he struggled on the greens to return a 72.

"I need to find a rhythm in my stroke over the next three days, work a bit on the putting green," said McIlroy.

"Hopefully it will be better tomorrow." Masters champion Jordan Spieth, who played in the more difficult conditions of the afternoon as the course firmed up, was delighted to open with a 68.

"It was a good solid day," said the 21-year-old Texan. "To shoot two under at the U.S. Open, I would have signed for that before I started."

Tiger Woods reacts after attempting to chip onto the 11th green in the first round of the 2015 U.S. Open golf tournament at Chambers Bay

Image credit: Reuters

Woods, who has been struggling for form and won the most recent of his 14 major titles at the 2008 U.S. Open, endured a nightmare day at Chambers Bay.

Wayward off the tee, the former world number one toiled away in bunkers and thick fescue rough before ending his round with a bogey at the par-five 18th where he cold-topped a three-wood from the middle of the fairway.

"Not very happy, that's for sure," Woods said after racking up eight bogeys, a triple at the par-four 14th and a solitary birdie.

"It was a tough day. Got off to a bad start ... and then just couldn't quite get it turned around today.

"For some reason I just can't get the consistency that I'd like to have out there."

US OPEN FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD

-5 Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 65

Henrik Stenson (Sweden) 65

-4 Patrick Reed (U.S.) 66

-3 Matt Kuchar (U.S.) 67

Brian Campbell (U.S.) 67

Ben Martin (U.S.) 67

-2 Jason Day (Australia) 68

Jordan Spieth (U.S.) 68

Joost Luiten (Netherlands) 68

Francesco Molinari (Italy) 68

Jason Dufner (U.S.) 68

Marc Warren (Britain) 68

Cody Gribble (U.S.) 68

-1 Phil Mickelson (U.S.) 69

Brian Harman (U.S.) 69

Kevin Chappell (U.S.) 69

Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 69

Colin Montgomerie (Britain) 69

Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain) 69

Branden Grace (South Africa) 69

Ollie Schniederjans (U.S.) 69

Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 69

Charlie Beljan (U.S.) 69

Tony Finau (U.S.) 69

Shane Lowry (Ireland) 69

Level par - Daniel Summerhays (U.S.) 70

Brad Fritsch (Canada) 70

Nick Hardy (U.S.) 70

Jamie Lovemark (U.S.) 70

Adam Scott (Australia) 70

Sergio Garcia (Spain) 70

Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) 70

Masahiro Kawamura (Japan) 70

Chris Kirk (U.S.) 70

Kevin Na (U.S.) 70

Sebastian Cappelen (Denmark) 70

Alexander Levy (France) 70

Bubba Watson (U.S.) 70

Angel Cabrera (Argentina) 70

Cameron Smith (Australia) 70

Michael Putnam (U.S.) 70

+1 Marcus Fraser (Australia) 71

Morgan Hoffmann (U.S.) 71

Russell Henley (U.S.) 71

Jim Furyk (U.S.) 71

Denny McCarthy (U.S.) 71

Andres Romero (Argentina) 71

Beau Hossler (U.S.) 71

Kevin Kisner (U.S.) 71

Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 71

Pan Cheng Tsung (Chinese Taipei) 71

+2 Ernie Els (South Africa) 72

Mark Silvers (U.S.) 72

Jimmy Gunn (Britain) 72

Sam Saunders (U.S.) 72

George Coetzee (South Africa) 72

Billy Horschel (U.S.) 72

Justin Rose (Britain) 72

J.B. Holmes (U.S.) 72

Shiv Kapur (India) 72

Danny Willett (Britain) 72

Martin Kaymer (Germany) 72

Rory McIlroy (Britain) 72

Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 72

Brooks Koepka (U.S.) 72

Webb Simpson (U.S.) 72

Hiroyuki Fujita (Japan) 72

David Hearn (Canada) 72

John Senden (Australia) 72

Andy Sullivan (Britain) 72

John Parry (Britain) 72

Kurt Barnes (Australia) 72

Troy Kelly (U.S.) 72

Zach Johnson (U.S.) 72

Ian Poulter (Britain) 72

Jimmy Walker (U.S.) 72

Camilo Villegas (Colombia) 72

Paul Casey (Britain) 72

+3 Charl Schwartzel (South Africa) 73

Bill Haas (U.S.) 73

Hunter Mahan (U.S.) 73

Lucas Bjerregaard (Denmark) 73

Jack Maguire (U.S.) 73

Marcel Siem (Germany) 73

Liang Wenchong (China) 73

Keegan Bradley (U.S.) 73

An Byeong-Hun (Korea) 73

Marc Leishman (Australia) 73

Luke Donald (Britain) 73

Tom Hoge (U.S.) 73

Oliver Farr (Britain) 73

Lee Westwood (Britain) 73

Lee Janzen (U.S.) 73

Davis Riley (U.S.) 73

Bo Van Pelt (U.S.) 73

Alexander Noren (Sweden) 73

Lucas Glover (U.S.) 73

+4 Jake Knapp (U.S.) 74

Matt Mabrey (U.S.) 74

Ryan Palmer (U.S.) 74

Andy Pope (U.S.) 74

Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 74

Kevin Lucas (U.S.) 74

Brandon Hagy (U.S.) 74

Roberto Castro (U.S.) 74

D.A. Points (U.S.) 74

Ryo Ishikawa (Japan) 74

Bryson DeChambeau (U.S.) 74

Jamie Donaldson (Britain) 74

Graeme McDowell (Britain) 74

Yang Gunn (Korea) 74

Victor Dubuisson (France) 74

Lee McCoy (U.S.) 74

Jason Allred (U.S.) 74

Robert Streb (U.S.) 74

Tim O'Neal (U.S.) 74

Stephan Jaeger (Germany) 74

Gary Woodland (U.S.) 74

Richard Lee (U.S.) 74

Garth Mulroy (South Africa) 74

Baek Seuk-Hyun (Korea) 74

Tommy Fleetwood (Britain) 74

+5 Steve Marino (U.S.) 75

George McNeill (U.S.) 75

Cameron Tringale (U.S.) 75

Sam Horsfield (Britain) 75

Ryan Moore (U.S.) 75

Anirban Lahiri (India) 75

+6 Bradley Neil (Britain) 76

Brad Elder (U.S.) 76

Jason Palmer (Britain) 76

Matthew NeSmith (U.S.) 76

Erik Compton (U.S.) 76

Charley Hoffman (U.S.) 76

+7 Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 77

Cole Hammer (U.S.) 77

Retief Goosen (South Africa) 77

Tjaart Van der Walt (South Africa) 77

Darren Clarke (Britain) 77

Michael Davan (U.S.) 77

+8 Jared Becher (U.S.) 78

Tyler Duncan (U.S.) 78

Danny Lee (New Zealand) 78

Brendon Todd (U.S.) 78

Blayne Barber (U.S.) 78

Shunsuke Sonoda (Japan) 78

Matt Every (U.S.) 78

Kyle Jones (U.S.) 78

Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 78

+9 Josh Persons (U.S.) 79

Pat Wilson (U.S.) 79

+10 Alex Kim (U.S.) 80

Billy Hurley III (U.S.) 80

Tiger Woods (U.S.) 80

+11 Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 81

+13 Rich Berberian Jr. (U.S.) 83

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