U.S. Open 2014 scores and results: Martin Kaymer goes low, captures 1st round lead

For most of the day, Pinehurst No. 2 was the star of the first round of the U.S. Open. That was before Martin Kaymer made the turn and proceeded to blister the back nine on his way to a 5-under round of 65. Not only was that good enough to give him the first round lead, but it was the best round ever carded in a U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

The 29-year-old Kaymer has been in much better form this year after going through a low swell while making swing changes. He won the Players Championship last month, a victory he said was much-needed for his confidence. He carried that form to Pinehurst where he was solid tee-to-green on a very challenging course. Par is often a good score in a U.S. Open and Kaymer did very well to eliminate dropped shots with just one bogey. He did it by being accurate off the tee, hitting 13 of 14 fairways which allowed him to avoid many of the troublesome waste areas. He wasn’t great with his irons, hitting just 11 of 18 greens in regulation, making his 65 even more impressive. When he did hit greens, he took advantage, rolling in six birdies. That was especially true on the back nine where he carded four birdies, including three on his final five holes. The late run allowed him to move into sole possession of the lead and distance himself some from the field. At 5-under, he leads by three strokes.

While birdies were possible, they weren’t plentiful. That made avoiding issue almost more important than carding red numbers. Brandt Snedeker is a prime example of that. Snedeker notched six birdies on the day, tying Kaymer for the most of any player. Unlike Kaymer, however, Snedeker struggled to avoid dropped shots. He finished the day with three bogeys and a double bogey to drop him to 1-under and four off the lead.

Kaymer was able to gain some separation late in the round, but for the most part, the field remains very tightly clustered. More than half the field -- 87 players -- are 3-under or better through the first round. At one point late in the round, more than 70 players were within four strokes of the lead. A total of 15 players managed under-par rounds on Thursday, including Graeme McDowell. The 2010 U.S. Open champion held at least a share of the lead for much of the round after he carded a 2-under 68. McDowell was very steady, finishing with a birdie, an eagle, a bogey and 15 pars.

Phil Mickelson is five strokes off the lead after carding an up-and-down round of 70. He traded birdies and bogeys for most of the day, never dropping below 1-under or above 1-over. He hit the ball well, including 13 or 18 greens in regulation, but didn’t putt especially well. He shifted to a claw putting grip last week and thus far, the change hasn’t paid dividends. Rickie Fowler joined Mickelson at even with Keegan Bradley, Harris English, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar among a host of notable players at 1-under.

The first round didn’t go well for all of the top players in the field. Rory McIlroy shot a 1-over 71, Jason Dufner carded a 2-over 72 while Adam Scott is 3-over after shooting a 73. Jason Day and Sergio Garcia are also 3-over, right on the edge of the cut line. Bubba Watson will have work to do if he’s going to be around for the weekend. He managed just one birdie in the opening round to go with five bogeys and a double to come in at 6-over. Watson called the greens “unfriendly” before the tournament and didn’t dish out praise for the setup like many of the other top players in the field. He didn’t appear to be overly comfortable on Thursday, grinding out a poor round.

Here is a full look at where things stand through 18 holes in the 2014 U.S. Open.