McIlroy looked strong in taking a three-stroke lead at the U.S. Open

After flopping in the Masters’ final round, Rory McIlroy looked strong in taking a three-stroke lead at the U.S. Open

Associated Press

bethesda, md.

If he keeps playing like this, Rory McIlroy’s next chance to close out a major should come very soon.

McIlroy, who blew a four-shot lead in the final round of the Masters, is on top at the U.S. Open, shooting a 6-under-par 65 on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead over Y.E. Yang and the man who wound up taking the green jacket, Charl Schwartzel.

There’s still a lot of golf between now and Sunday, but there’s no denying McIlroy looks like the player most poised to break through on one of golf’s biggest stages. His three-shot lead was the largest after the first round of the U.S. Open in 35 years.

This will be the third time in the last four majors McIlroy has held the first-round lead. And at this one, his first round at a Grand Slam since the meltdown at Augusta, he didn’t look one bit scared, scarred or intimidated by either the moment or the super-sized course at Congressional.

“I felt comfortable with my game and comfortable on the golf course,” McIlroy said. “And when you have that combination like that, everything’s OK.”

He hit 17 greens in regulation and did it from the fairways, which he hit nine times, and the rough, which was thick, but maybe not as vicious as it can be at the typical U.S. Open venue.

He made putts from short and long range and strung together three straight birdies in the middle of his round. He went 18 holes without a bogey — the only player of the 156 in the field who did — a remarkable feat on a course measuring 7,574 yards for the first round.

He played most of the round in breezy conditions that weren’t present in the morning, when Yang was shooting his 68 in calmer conditions. Rain that greeted the players early started again as McIlroy was heading to the ninth green — his last hole of the day — but there was no dampening this effort.

He’s not looking too far ahead, either.

“I have to back it up tomorrow so I can go into the weekend in good position,” he said.

Sergio Garcia, British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, American Ryan Palmer, Kyung-tae Kim and Scott Hend were tied for fourth at 2 under; a group of 10 finished another stroke back.

The three members of the morning’s marquee group — No. 1 Luke Donald (74), No. 2 Lee Westwood (75) and No. 3 Martin Kaymer (74) — combined for 17 bogeys and one double.

Phil Mickelson also finished with a 3-over 74.