BROOKLINE, Mass. – The potent combination of thick rough, slick greens and the pressure of the U.S. Open can take a predictable toll on a player.
Consider Rory McIlroy’s Day 1 at The Country Club. He started on No. 10, made the turn at 2 under par and was a shot off the early lead. Following his victory at last week’s RBC Canadian Open, he was on cruise control right up until the moment he wasn’t, when his drive caught the scruffy edge of a bunker at the short par-4 fifth hole and stayed there.
The 2011 U.