Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler off the pace in brutal opening round at US Open

Masters champion McIlroy shot a four-over-par 74 – eight strokes off the lead of JJ Spaun

Rory McIlroy had to battle for a four-over 74 as Oakmont (PA)

Rory McIlroy had a horrible feeling of deja vu after his US Open hopes were dented on the opening day at Oakmont, where most of the big names suffered.

The Masters champion, trying to shake off the hangover of his Augusta National win in April, came to the Pittsburgh course last week on a scouting mission and carded an 81.

While he fared slightly better in Thursday’s first round, his four-over-par 74 leaves him needing to produce something special if he is to win the third major of the year.

He is eight shots off first-round leader JJ Spaun, who tamed the brutal Oakmont course widely described as the hardest in the game, with a blemish-free 66.

The American sits one shot clear of Thriston Lawrence. Sungjae Im, Brooks Koepka and Si Woo Kim are a shot further back on two-under-par.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, the overwhelming pre-tournament favourite, also struggled in posting a 73, along with defending champion Bryson DeChambeau.

Scheffler said: “I just feel like after today, I’ve probably got to give myself a few more looks, it could have been a little bit of a different story.

“But the golf course is just challenging.”

Two-time US Open champion Brooks Koepka made a better fist of it, an eagle on the fourth hole helping him to two under, while Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth were one under.

JJ Spaun took a surprise opening-round lead (PA)

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre reckons he played one of the best rounds of his career in shooting a level par, which puts him four shots off the pace.

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McIlroy was simply beaten up by an unforgiving golf course which punishes you when you miss the fairway, which the Northern Irishman did plenty of times, and even sometimes when you hit the fairway.

Starting on the back nine, it seemed to be going all too well for the Northern Irishman as he made the turn at two under after birdies at the 11th and 12th.

But it quickly unravelled as he played holes one to nine in 41 shots, which included four bogeys and a double bogey.

His playing partners Justin Rose and Shane Lowry did not fare any better as Rose went round in a seven-over 77 with the Irishman a further two shots back and both facing the prospect of missing the cut.

McIlroy’s struggles make Spaun’s record-equalling round of 66 even more impressive.

His four birdies in a blemish-free round, which is the joint-lowest first-round score in the US Open on this course, came on the 34-year-old American’s first outing at Oakmont.

“All you’ve been hearing is how hard this place is, and it’s hard to not hear the noise and see what’s on social media,” he said.

“You’re just kind of only hearing about how hard this course is.

“I was actually pretty nervous. But I actually tried to harness that, the nerves, the anxiety, because it kind of heightens my focus, makes me swing better, I guess.”

He continued: “I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me. I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalise on any birdie opportunities, which aren’t very many out here.

“But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a US Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round.

“I’m just overly pleased with how I started the tournament.”

PA