Canadian Hadwin leads U.S. Open after opening round

BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) — Adam Hadwin wasn't officially in the U.S. Open until eight days ago. He walked off The Country Club on Thursday with his best score ever in a major for a one-shot lead.

With the focus finally shifting away from Saudi-backed rival league, who's going and who's staying on the PGA Tour, the Canadian opened with a 4-under 66 on a breezy but not overly punishing day at Brookline.

The lingering thoughts of the rival league came from Rory McIlroy, not from anything he said but with the golf he played.

It was another bold statement as McIlroy didn't make a bogey until his final hole — his brief fit of anger revealed as much desire as frustration — for a 67. That left him in the large chasing pack with four players who had to go through 36-hole qualifying.

Callum Tarren of England, David Lingmerth of Sweden, MJ Daffue of South Africa and Joel Dahmen also were at 67.

At the opposite end was Phil Mickelson, who celebrated his 52nd birthday — on the golf course, anyway — with a four-putt double bogey on his way to a 78.

Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., ran off three straight birdies to finish the front nine in 31, and he only dropped one shot on the back nine for his 66. His previous low score in a major was 68 on three occasions, most recently the first round of the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park.

McIlroy has become a leading voice on the PGA Tour over the last few years, particularly with his rebuke of the Saudi-funded series that is disrupting golf. Thursday was a reminder he's pretty good at his day job, too.

McIlroy made two straight birdies late in his round to become the first player to reach 4 under, only to miss the ninth green and make his only bogey.

At the moment, McIlroy isn't concerned with