Christiaan Bezuidenhout the best-placed South African after US Open opening round

Christiaan Bezuidenhout led the South African charge in the opening round of the US Open at Pinehurst on Thursday.

Bezuidenhout shot a two-over round of 72 to sit tied for 50th on a tricky course characterised by its dome-shaped greens, sandy waste areas and wiregrass. He is seven shots behind co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay, who both shot impressive rounds of five-under 65.

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Bezuidenhout's countryman, Casey Jarvis, shot three-over 73 to sit tied for 65th, while Dean Burmester is a shot behind after carding a four-over 74 to lie tied for 86th.

Erik van Rooyen will find it hard to make the weekend cut after shooting a six-over 76 which left him tied for 120th position.

Elsewhere, 15-time major winner Tiger Woods struggled to a four-over 74 (tied for 86th). Woods had five bogeys in a seven-hole stretch starting at the 16th after teeing off on the back nine.

Scores after Thursday's first round of the 124th US Open at par-70 Pinehurst (a- denotes amateur):

65 - Patrick Cantlay (USA), Rory McIlroy (NIR)

66 - Ludvig Aberg (SWE)

67 - Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Bryson DeChambeau (USA)

68 - Tony Finau (USA), Tyrrell Hatton (ENG), Akshay Bhatia (USA)

69 - Kim Seong-hyeon (KOR), Corey Conners (CAN), Sergio Garcia (ESP), Sam Bennett (USA), Aaron Rai (ENG), Jackson Suber (USA), Thomas Detry (BEL)

70 - Logan McAllister (USA), Stephan Jaeger (GER), Emiliano Grillo (ARG), Collin Morikawa (USA), Brooks Koepka (USA), Russell Henley (USA), Robert Rock (ENG), a-Neal Shipley (USA), Isaiah Salinda (USA), Davis Thompson (USA), Zac Blair (USA), Harris English (USA), Robert Macintyre (SCO), Xander Schauffele (USA), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Sepp Straka (AUT), Martin Kaymer (GER), Adam Scott (AUS)

71 - Seamus Power (IRL), Max