McIlroy ends up in the first cut to the right of the ninth fairway off his tee shot.

It's a decent second shot from there but he's on the front of the green and the 30ft putt for a birdie looks ambitious.

Sensational from Will Zalatoris. The American has really been struggling but zips into two feet on the par-three sixth with a majestic iron shot.

Matt Fitzpatrick is also on the green, but he's in a different zip code and faces an awkward putt over the ridge onto a downhill slope.

Here it comes...that's not bad from the Englishman who is a hair's breadth from seeing his ball hit the flagstick. But he can't convert the return leg. First mistake of the day for Fitzy as his playing partner tidies up.

Not to be for Rory McIlroy.

It's a good birdie putt but it swings right of the hole. It looked like he was going to have to save par on the eighth so that's not a bad result in the end really.

He's five shots off the leaders though and running out of holes.

'Just' a par for Scheffler on seven, but he still looks like holing everything, even from the back edge here his putt from almost 50 feet tracks a long way towards the hole and almost ducks in.

Just leaves him two feet for par and he moves on to the par-five eighth, which he eagled yesterday when holing out from 100 yards!

WHAT.

Turns out McIlroy's ball was nestled in some deep grass next to a bunker on the eighth.

He hacks it out and... will that be a birdie chance? How is that a birdie chance?

He went from rough, to rough, to green but now McIlroy has a 14ft putt to get back to two under.

Up ahead Jon Rahm sees a bounce-back birdie attempt pull up on him.

Just a par for the 2021 champion.

What a great shot. Matt Fitzpatrick lasers his tee shot into the green on the fifth to give himself a good look at eagle.

He couldn't could he? He sends a longish putt sliding past to the right but then knocks in the five footer for birdie.

The Englishman is playing some great stuff.

Nooooo.

McIlroy was deep in the rough to the left of the eighth fairway and he's gone straight from there either into some even deeper rough or the bunker.

We'll need to wait to get a closer look where that one's ended up but neither option is pretty.

A disappointing conclusion for Justin Rose.

The 2013 US Open champion signs for a final round of 72 after making bogeys at the 16th and 18th.

His only sub-par round of the week came on Thursday, with an opening 68.

Jon Rahm gets a fortunate bounce on the fifth after going well left trying to find the short par-four in one.

Instead of being in the fescue his ball is sat up in the shorter stuff but his clip on is heavy handed to say the least, flying over the hole to the opposite side of the green to leave him with a battle to save par. One he doesn't win.

He had looked so controlled as well.

Right, eighth hole. This is where the consistency begins for Rory McIlroy.

Or maybe... not. In the rough again. The ball disappears ominously in the grass without a trace.

Again?! The only way is up for Scottie Scheffler but Rory McIlroy is not sure which way he's going.

It was a 14ft putt for par and McIlroy didn't have it.

The ball swings left and goes about another 4ft past. That's another bogey.

So to recap: birdie, par, bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey. That won't win a US Open, surely.

This is incredible stuff from Scottie Scheffler, who looks back in that zone we saw him in at Augusta earlier this year.

It's now four birdies in six holes and the combination so far is decent, sensible iron play leaving lengthy birdie chances, which he's just gobbling up with his red-hot putter.

It's 14 feet this time and never looks anywhere else - he looks like he can hole out from anywhere on the greens right now.

A complete contrast on the fourth as Will Zalatoris is once again scrambling around for par while Matt Fitzpatrick rolls a birdie putt by before making his.

Callum Tarren admitted he was stunned to find his name close to the top of the leaderboard at the close of play on day one of the US Open.

And the world number 445 has not long finished and is currently the highest placed Englishman in the clubhouse after a closing one-under 69.

But for Saturday's 78, things could have been so much better than his current position, tied for 32nd.

From rough... to rough.

McIlroy's second shot stayed left of the fairway and he ended up in some even nastier stuff by the green.

His third shot swoops past the flag and he'll have a lot to do to make par.

McIlroy's scorecard is going to look very colourful at this rate.

Jon Rahm absolutely leathers his tee shot down the fourth but could he have got closer to the pin with his second?

The Spaniard has a 30-footer down the slope coming up for birdie. He sets it of with the faintest of touches and watches it wiggle right, then left. It's in, surely. No it just straightens at the last moment.

Keegan Bradley gets his first par on the board. Very welcome indeed after a painful start.

You have absolutely no idea what's going to happen when Rory McIlroy steps up to the tee today.

On the seventh, he lands in some friendly looking rough to the left of the fairway. If rough can ever look friendly...

Image source, gett

Scottie Scheffler is looking to become just the second player to win the US Open while being the world number one in the official rankings.

Bet you can't guess who the only other one is?

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