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He's done it again! Scottie Scheffler's not been at his greatest in the bounce back stats this year but he's usually near the top of that metric, and he's been bouncing back brilliantly at Shinnecock today.

He stripes one off the 17th tee leaving 12 feet, which he cans for a two to get back to two over heading down the last.

Scheffler's dropped shots on five holes today, he's birdied the very next hole three times - that's some effort around here.

University of Oklahoma student Ryder Cowan has shot to the top of the leaderboard after a terrific start to his first US Open.

The 21-year-old, who came through a play-off in final qualifying to book his spot at Shinnecock, has just rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 14th, his fifth hole, to join Sam Stevens atop the pile.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell shares his thoughts on how the USGA have set Shinnecock Hills up after signing for an opening 76.

Another stellar trio of major champions has just got under way at the first.

However, neither Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Thomas nor Xander Schauffele has a US Open to their name.

They've had to sit all day and watch the rest of the competition fight these conditions. Now it's their turn.

It's tough starting on the 10th today as it's the second hardest hole on the course - as Matt Fitzpatrick finds out with an opening bogey. He just turned his second shot over and went over the back of the green - going long at Shinnecock rarely ends well.

Two pars for the other two but disappointment for Fitzpatrick, who will fancy a big week as he's in the form of his life - winning three times already this season including a team event alongside little brother Alex.

He also took down Scottie Scheffler in a play-off, finished second at Sawgrass and also second last week in Canada with a final round 64. Not an ideal start here though.

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Brooks Koepka says he "putted pretty good" at times at Shinnecock Hills today, but the two-time US Open champion was not a huge fan of the softer greens:

"The conditions were tough. It's just weird how soft the greens are. It's just odd. It's not what I remember.

"I mean, I understand why they're soft, I get that. It's not complaining. It's just a difficult day."

Erm, what just happened?

The three-ball of Aaron Rai, Collin Morikawa and Jason Day are less than 10 feet away from the 11th hole. Combined.

A majestic set of tee shots from this trio of US PGA champs, even if Day fluffs his putt from eight feet.

Scottie Scheffler's made a big mess of the 16th, hitting two bunkers but still having a simple task of knocking in a five footer to save his par - but his effort is bizarre as it's not even close to the hole and just slides by.

Poor bogey at a really bad time too.

Wondering why the scores aren't very low?

That's because all but four of the holes are playing over par and some by quite a distance too.

It's been a tough day out there.

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Rory McIlroy isn't going to be happy with that finish. Having reached three under with a superb eagle at his 14th hole, the six-time major winner finishes bogey-bogey despite finding the fairway at his final two holes.

At the ninth, he overshoots the green - like he did on the previous hole - and can't get up and down. His head drops as he taps in for a five.

A sloppy finish but it's still a 69, an 11-shot improvement on his opening round around here in 2018, and he'll certainly be in the mix heading into Friday.

Tommy Fleetwood was also long in two but he tidies up well for par and that's a fine 70 for the Englishman, who played his last six holes in two under.

Ludvig Aberg found the green in regulation and makes a stress-free par to match McIlroy's 69. A marquee group living up to their billing.

Bryson DeChambeau finds the first fairway and then the first green as he tees off looking to finally find some form in the majors. He won the US Open in 2020 and 2024 but he's not been able to find his major form this year, missing the cut at both the Masters and US PGA Championship.

His LIV Golf form has been fine, but maybe all the doubt over the league's future and his heavy involvement in trying to find new financial backers is causing enough distraction to see him struggle in golf's toughest tournaments.

DeChambeau has been involved in a new LIV Golf business plan and speaking with investors - all of which, coupled with just thinking about his own personal future, must be occupying plenty of his time.

Patrick Reed, who went out in 34, cards a round of 72.

He will be disappointed after failing to build on a bogey-free opening nine.

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This is an intriguing group.

Bryson DeChambeau's game has been way off at majors over the past 15 months or so - he's missed the cut in three of the past four - but he is a two-time US Open winner.

If he's always tinkering, Viktor Hovland is always thinking and is yet to find a successful formula in a major championship. He has got two top 10s this season, including third last week in Toronto.

Then, there's Matt Fitzpatrick. This time last year he was ranked in the 80s in the world - now he's a top-five player with three wins already this season.

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Sam Burns rattles in a 12-footer to save par at the last and he will go for his post-round refreshments in a reasonable mood.

The same cannot be said for Tyrrell Hatton though. After bogeying the eighth, he makes a right hash of the ninth, his last hole.

His second shot ends up in some rough short of the green and although he clips his third to 10 feet, he takes three putts from there for a double-bogey finish.

A fairway found by Scottie Scheffler but his approach play hasn't been on point today and he can only hit his second to 35 feet, so misses out on a real chance of making birdie.

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What difference does being a major champion make?

England's Aaron Rai is about to find out as he sets off in his first major since winning the US PGA in some style last month.

He's playing alongside Collin Morikawa and Jason Day and bosh, he's flushed his opening shot straight down the 10th fairway.

We haven't seen too many unforced errors from Rory McIlroy, but he blasts his approach at the eighth through the wind and his ball nestles into an awkward lie off the back of the green.

His flop shot comes up well short and he can't sink the left-to-righter for par, so he drops back into a tie with Sam Stevens and Ben James.

Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Aberg both fail with makeable birdie putts.

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Graeme McDowell got off to a dream start today, starting with back-to-back birdies.

It was all downhill from there for the 2010 champion, though, with eight bogeys leaving him at six over.

A tough return to the major stage for the Northern Irishman after six years away.

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Ouch, that's going to sting for Brooks Koepka as he's battled away all day long and was in a decent spot before dropping two shots on the final hole.

He missed the fairway, then thinned an iron out of the rough into a bunker. His shot out of the sand came up well short and although a lag putt was decent he left a short but big breaking putt, which he missed to end up with a six.

He's not exactly out of it, but after clawing and scratching his way around it'll be a huge blow to give away two shots right at the death.

It's a similar story for Cameron Young although he's one shot better off after making just a bogey on the last, while Chris Gotterup will be shattered after a sapping day on the links.

The Scottish Open champion made just five pars today, with five birdies, six bogeys and two double bogeys.