The first round of the US Open at the infamously-difficult Pinehurst No. 2 was tough going for the six-man Australian contingent, until veteran Adam Scott made the most of his late call-up to the competition with a “grinding” even-par round to put himself in contention.

Pinehurst is renowned for its tricky wasteland rough, characterised by sand and native wire grass, as well as its punishing domed greens which make approach shots and putting especially crucial.

And 43-year-old Scott used every bit of his experience – this is his 92nd successive major tournament appearance, a streak saved by a last-minute exemption from organisers – as he battled around the tough North Carolina course.

“It was all a little too close for comfort,” he said of that late call, adding: “I want to compete here and have a chance to win so badly that it was a little weight on my shoulders.”

Scott made a solid start to his day with six straight pars on the back nine to lead the Australian contingent early. Scott then ran into trouble with back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17, then recovered with a pair of birdies on the par-four 18th and the 528-yard par-four fourth hole – the latter with an 81-foot putt from well off the green.

That brought him back even for the round with five holes to play.

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The 2013 Masters champion then drained a birdie on the par-four seventh after a sensational 157-yard approach shot which landed just three feet from the hole for a simple tap-in.

That launched him into the top ten, only for his charge to take a brutal setback on the very next hole. Scott’s aggressive approach shot on the par-four eighth fell foul of the ‘turtleback’ greens, with the ball running down to the left side. He attempted to putt some 60 feet up a hill and back onto the green – but it was underhit, and rolled right back down to where he began.

At the second time of asking, he blasted his putt 22 feet past the hole. His fifth shot rolled just wide of the hole, and he finished with a double-bogey six.

But in champion style, Scott bounced back immediately with an excellent 20-foot birdie putt on the par-three ninth. On a course where putting is make-or-break, it was a significant confidence boost heading into the second round.

That last-hole birdie saw him card an even-par 70 in a tie for 15th, five shots behind Patrick Cantlay and Rory McIlroy who shot excellent 65s.

“I felt like I was kind of willing that one in on 9 because I felt like I really deserved to shoot even par,” he said. “I didn’t know why that one shot feels so much better than shooting over par, but it feels like a small victory to say you’ve shot par at a U.S. Open.”

“I think just generally, you should be happy if you shoot even par at a U.S. Open, from my experience,” he added.

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He is one shot ahead of fellow Australians Cameron Smith and Jason Day, who are in a tie for 34th after carding one-over 71s.

Smith’s round was capped off in style when he rolled in a 22-footer on the par-three ninth. It was his second birdie of the day to go with three bogeys.

Meanwhile, Day had a tough start to his opening round with three bogeys inside the first six holes. He turned things around on the back nine with two early birdies, including a perfectly-weighted 22-foot putt on the 12th. He dropped one on the 14th but pulled that shot back on the 16th with a stellar 46-foot birdie putt.

Further back in the field is Min Woo Lee, who carded a three-over 73 to finish in a tie for 68th after a tricky day.
Things started poorly with a bogey on the long par-four second hole. He turned it around with a birdie on the third, but that was the only time he’d convert a birdie chance for the rest of the round. A nightmare double bogey on the eighth came when he missed the fairway right on his first two shots. He dropped another shot on the par-three 15th.

Qualifier Jason Scrivener was one shot further back with a four-over 74 (T88th), his round featuring three bogeys on the front nine and another two on the back nine. The shining light was a birdie on the tenth, a 619-yard par five.

Meanwhile, Cam Davis had a rough start to the day with a double bogey in his first hole of the day – the tenth. A bogey on 11 meant he dropped three shots in his opening two holes, and he struggled to recover from there. He finished with five bogeys and that double to card a seven-over 77 and sit tied for 132nd.

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AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION