Pinehurst, NC (SportsNetwork.com) - Graeme McDowell and Kevin Na both opened with 2-under 68s Thursday and they share the early lead at the U.S. Open Championship.
McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, won three times around the world in 2013, but is winless this year. Na has one PGA Tour win, and it came in the 2011 season.
Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar, the second and fifth ranked players in the world, posted 1-under 69s at Pinehurst No. 2. They were joined there by Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Spieth, Brendon Todd and Hideki Matsuyama.
Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler were among nine players that shot even-par 70 to open the second major of the year. Mickelson collected his record sixth runner-up finish at this championship last year. A win here this week would complete the career grand slam for Mickelson.
Fowler tried to gain a little karma by wearing knickers to honor Payne Stewart, the 1999 champion at Pinehurst, who tragically died four months later in a plane crash. Fowler was the last player in the morning wave to make a bogey, but he bogeyed two of his last four holes to post 70.
Rory McIlroy and Webb Simpson, the 2011 and 2012 U.S. Open winners, and former Masters winner Zach Johnson carded 71s on Thursday.
Defending champion Justin Rose had four bogeys in a 6-hole span on the back nine. He rallied with three birdies in his first five holes around the turn, but he bogeyed the eighth, his 17th, to post 2-over 72.
McDowell, who won his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach, parred his first three holes. After stumbling to a bogey on the fourth, he came back with an eagle on the par-5 fifth to jump to minus-1.
The Ulsterman ran off eight straight birdies from the sixth. McDowell converted a birdie chance on the 14th to gain a share of the lead. He closed with four straight pars to end at minus-2.
"Very pleased. You know, this was a golf course where I spent the last few days just preparing myself mentally for the challenge, really, knowing that this golf course wasn't going to give much and it was only going to take. So I really kind of felt like I got my head in the right place the last few days," McDowell stated. "It wasn't my best ball-striking display this morning, but you don't have to strike it amazing around here, you just have to position the ball correctly at all times."
Na, the 2011 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open winner, played the back nine first on Thursday. After three pars in a row, he wrapped birdies at 13 and 15 around a bogey on the 14th.
The 30-year-old parred four straight from the 16th. He stumbled to a bogey on the second to dip back to even-par. Na, like McDowell, made eagle on the fifth to gain a share of the lead. Na chipped in for that eagle.
Na faltered to a bogey on No. 8, but he closed with a birdie on the ninth to finish alongside McDowell.
"The golf course was a lot softer than I was expecting it. I think they watered it a little bit. With the overcast this morning, it was a little soft and the greens were not as quick as I expected," stated Na. "You think that's why I was able to shoot a couple under. I'm not saying it was playing easy, it wasn't playing as difficult as I was expecting it, but I know for sure that Friday, Saturday, Sunday, it's going to play harder and harder. And by Sunday, I know even par's going to be a good score."
NOTES: Sergio Garcia and Jason Day carded 73s, former winner Angel Cabrera posted a 74 and Lee Westwood stumbled to a 75, while Nick Watney and Ryan Moore struggle to 76s ... Charl Schwartzel, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Luke Donald, Bubba Watson, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk are among those in the afternoon wave.
