LAST UPDATE | 17 Jun 2022

CANADA’S ADAM HADWIN birdied five of the last six holes on the front nine and seized a one-stroke lead after Thursday’s first round of the US Open as Shane Lowry and Seamus Power carded opening rounds of 72 and 71 respectively.

World number 105 Hadwin, whose best finish in 19 prior major starts was a share of 24th at the 2018 Masters, fired a six-under par 66 at The Country Club.

“Not much better of a start to a US Open you can ask for,” Hadwin said. “To take the first round lead at the US Open is incredible. It’s something no one can take away from me. But it’s not the final goal.”

Lowry bogeyed the par-three 16th but a fine approach shot on the 18th left him with the chance of a closing birdie to haul himself level with Power.

However, the Offaly man’s putt from 15 feet was short and he finished two over par.

Power’s opening round, which leaves him tied for 44th, was overshadowed by three bogeys in-a-row but he recovered very well to finish five shots off the lead.

Rory McIlroy shared second on 67 after a closing bogey with Sweden’s David Lingmerth, England’s Callum Tarren, American Joel Dahmen and South Africa’s M.J. Daffue.

Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson, among the rebels who left the US PGA Tour for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, led a seventh-place pack on 68 that included fellow Americans Hayden Buckley, Matthew NeSmith, Aaron Wise, Brian Harman plus England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose.

In the first event to match PGA Tour and LIV Golf players, 15 LIV Golf signees combined to shoot 53-over par. Notables included Patrick Reed on 70, Bryson DeChambeau on 71, Sergio Garcia on 74, Louis Oosthuizen on 77 and Phil Mickelson with 78 on his 52nd birthday.

The US Golf Association chose not to follow a PGA Tour ban of 17 golfers who played in last week’s LIV Golf debut in England, staying faithful to this year’s US Open qualifying standards.