Thomas 5 Under Par "Complete Conquest of Winged Foot"... Woods Stumbles with 3 Over Par

120th US Open First Day Leader 'Jeongta (正打) Power', McIlroy Chases at 3 Under Par, Im Seongjae Performs Even Par

Justin Thomas is taking an iron tee shot on the 6th hole on the first day of the 120th US Open. Mamaroneck, New York, USA = Getty Images / Photo by Multibits

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] "The keyword is solid contact."

This is the 'strategy for tough courses' of Justin Thomas (USA), ranked 3rd in the world. On the 18th (Korean time), at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York (par 70, 7,477 yards), the venue for the 120th US Open, a PGA Tour major with a total prize of $12.5 million, Thomas surged with a 5-under-par on the first day to immediately take the top spot on the leaderboard. Patrick Reed and Matthew Wolff (both USA), Thomas Pieters (Belgium), and others are tied for 2nd place at 1 stroke behind (4-under-par 66), while Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) is tied for 5th place at 2 strokes behind (3-under-par 67).

Thomas collected six birdies (one bogey). After exchanging a birdie on the 1st hole (par 4) with a bogey on the 3rd hole (par 3), he gained momentum with a birdie on the 6th hole (par 4). The highlight was three consecutive birdies from the 9th to the 11th holes. On the final 18th hole, he confidently sank a long 7.6-meter birdie putt to finish strong. Winged Foot is especially notorious as the 'Devil's Course.' His 323-yard long drives, fairway hit rate of 64.29%, and green hit rate of 77.78% showcased his pinpoint iron shots.

It is worth noting that Thomas was the leading money winner in the 2020 season. He secured three wins last year: The CJ Cup in October, the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, and the World Golf Championships (WGC) FedEx St. Jude Invitational in August, earning a $2 million bonus awarded to the top player in the regular league playoffs (PO). However, he finished 2nd in the PO final, which was somewhat frustrating. He expressed confidence, saying, "It's a tough course, but if you hit good tee shots, you can make birdies."

Tiger Woods is disappointed as his birdie putt misses on the first hole of the 120th US Open's first day. Mamaroneck, New York, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images

Reed recorded an ace and four birdies (one double bogey). Although he suffered a critical double bogey after struggling in the rough on the 5th hole (par 4), he quickly recovered with a birdie on the 6th hole (par 4) and then made a hole-in-one on the 7th hole (par 3) from 165 yards, immediately posting an under-par score. He added birdies on the 12th, 13th, and 15th holes in the back nine. Wolff is a dark horse. Despite missing the green seven times, his 'stingy putting' with an average of 1.44 putts per hole was highly effective.

McIlroy combined precise shots with a green hit rate of 83.33%, recording four birdies and one bogey. This is a great opportunity for him to reclaim the top spot for the first time in nine years since 2011. Jon Rahm (Spain) and 'The Hulk' Bryson DeChambeau (USA) are watching for chances from a tie for 14th place at 1-under-par. Tiger Woods' pursuit of his 16th major victory is a thorny path. He made five birdies but also six bogeys and one double bogey, showing 'rollercoaster play.' He admitted, "My tee shots were not good."

Korea's Im Sung-jae (22) is performing well, tied for 22nd at even par. He made a cost-effective comeback by offsetting two bogeys on the 1st and 9th holes with consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes. An Byeong-hun (29) is tied for 33rd at 1-over-par, Kim Si-woo (25) tied for 57th at 2-over-par, and Kang Sung-hoon (33, all from CJ Logistics) tied for 92nd at 4-over-par. Phil Mickelson's (USA) challenge for the 'Career Grand Slam' is again under threat. He is tied for 142nd at 9-over-par and is likely to be cut.

Im Sung-jae is teeing off at the 2nd hole on the first day of the 120th US Open. Mamaroneck, New York, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Getty Images