Cantlay, Rory and the movable Open feast

It was the great Dan Jenkins, borrowing the title from the no less great Ernest Hemmingway, who referred to the U.S. Open and its many venues as a movable feast.

One year it’s held in the historical setting of The Country Club, outside Boston. The next is amid the luxurious glass and steel buildings surrounding the Los Angeles Country Club. This week it is in the sandhills of North Carolina in Pinehurst Resort where the greens are elevated and the memories bittersweet.

It was at Pinehurst in the 2019 Open when John Daly would knock putts from one side of the eighth green to the other as if he were on a miniature golf course. It also was at that 2019 Open, when Phil Mickelson, his wife expecting the couple’s first child wore a pager, Payne Stewart won by a stroke, grabbed Phil, and told him, ”You’ll love being a father.” A few months later Stewart died in the bizarre LearJet accident.

Michelson, who will be 54 Sunday is in this Open, and in the first round Thursday, unfortunately, showed why Tour golf is for the younger guys, shot a 9 over par, 79, without a birdie. In contrast, Tiger Woods, who is 48 and received a special invitation to play, had a 4-over par 74.

There were co-leaders at 5-under par 65, after 18 holes, Rory McIlroy, who has won four majors, and Patrick Cantlay, who hasn’t won any.

Rory has been in the news the last month for something other than the way he hits his tee shots, which are always long and occasionally straight.

A month ago, immediately after the PGA Championship, McIlroy, 35, filed for divorce from his wife, Erica. Then practically, as condolences were offered, he announced he had changed his mind. How would all this affect his game at the U.S. Open? We found out quickly enough.

Cantlay grew up in southern California and competed at UCLA. He once was the No. 1 amateur in the world rankings, but that was in the past. He is virtually the only American at the top of the board. McIlroy is from Northern Ireland. Ludvig Albeg of Sweden was third at 67. Tied for fourth are Matthieu Pavon — he’s from France — and Bryson DeChambeau. He’s not only an American, he’s from Stockton. He won the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot.  

The guy everyone has been favoring, the guy who is first in the world rankings, Scottie Scheffler shot a one-over 71. It was his 1st over-par opening round in a major since the 2022 PGA Championship.

He had played only 21 holes the entire season when he was over par in a tournament.  But this is The Open, and this is Pinehurst. Odd things take place.