SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) Twenty-three year-old Scott Gregory shot 22 over par – dead last in the opening round of the U.S. Open – and then cheerfully answered every question from a group of reporters wanting to know what went wrong.

(Spoiler alert: everything.)

Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, who have won a dozen majors among them, dodged the media after finishing a combined 25 over for the day.

Article continues below …

”I’ve shot quite a big number today,” Gregory said Thursday. ”Everyone has bad days. Look at Tiger, Rory and all of them.”

Mickelson finished the day at 7 over as he tries to win the only major in the Grand Slam that has eluded him. McIlroy shot 10 over. Spieth was 8 over and then gave a statement to the USGA that was distributed to reporters.

”There were certainly some dicey pins,” he said. ”But at the same time, there was guys that shot under par. So I could have played better.”

Gregory finished the day five strokes behind the second-to-last go..

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) The U.S. Open lived up to its reputation in the return to Shinnecock Hills.

So did Dustin Johnson.

Fresh off a six-shot victory last week, Johnson managed all aspects of his game Thursday on a classic U.S. Open course that required nothing less. He wasn’t perfect, but he was under par – barely – and shared the lead at 1-under 69 in an opening round of strong wind, high anxiety and scores that made this feel like a U.S. Open again.

Article continues below …

”You had to focus on every single shot you hit – putts, everything. It was just difficult all day,” Johnson said. ”Every day out here is going to be difficult.”

It was plenty tough for Tiger Woods, who started with a triple bogey and added a pair of double bogeys on the back nine for a 78.

Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth – the only three active players with three legs of the career Grand Slam – made only six birdies among them. They were a combined 25-over par, with Mickelson the low man ..

Tiger Woods struggled and Dustin Johnson shined at Day 1 of the 118th U.S. Open. Sponsored by #Lexus

Tiger Woods struggled mightily on the first day of the US Open, shooting 8 over par to finish in a tie for 101st.

Joe Buck and Paul Azinger offer up their thoughts after Thursday's action at the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

A glance at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York.

Leading: Former champion Dustin Johnson and three other players are tied after shooting 1-under 69s.

Just behind: Jason Dufner was a stroke behind at 70.

Article continues below …

Where’s Tiger: Tiger Woods shot a 78 that included two double bogeys and a triple bogey.

Other notables: Phil Mickelson shot a 77, Jordan Spieth a 78 and Rory McIlroy an 80.

Tough going: Just five players shot par or better on a day where the par-70 Shinnecock played to an average of 76.47.

Quotable: ”I enjoy the fight. I enjoy the grind, really. I do enjoy it, especially when you’re on the right side of the fight. When you get a bit cut up and bruised, it can change pretty quick.” – Justin Rose, who is in a group two shots back of the lead at 1 over.

Featured tee times: 8:02 a.m. EDT, Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas. 1:47 p.m., Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy.

TV: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m., FS1; 1:30-4:30 p..

Dustin Johnson talks after his first round at the 2018 U.S. Open. Johnson sits at at -1 going into Friday's action at Shinnecock Hills.

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) As Tiger Woods stood in the middle of the first fairway, the last thing on his mind was a 7.

That number was the first thing on his scorecard Thursday in the U.S. Open.

It didn’t get better on his way to another ugly number, a first-round 78.

Article continues below …

”I just didn’t get off to a good start,” Woods said. ”I drove good most of the day, just didn’t do much from there. I just didn’t putt well.”

It wasn’t his worst opener in this tournament. Woods shot an 80 at Chambers Bay three years ago, his most recent U.S. Open before back surgeries sidelined him.

Woods rallied by playing the rest of the front nine at 1-under par. After that, his putting fluctuated from spotty to just plain bad, including four putts on the 13th.

”It was not very good,” he said of unlucky No. 13. ”I was worried about running the (first) putt by, it would be downhill (coming back). I blocked the next one, (and) blocked the next one. It was not very good.”

Nope, it wasn’t…

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) Kelly Shon played her last six holes in 6 under for an 8-under 64 and a share of the lead with So Yeon Ryu on Thursday in the Meijer LPGA Classic.

Shon had a 7-under 29 on her final nine, the front nine at Blythefield Country Club. The former Princeton star played the five par-5 holes in 5 under with an eagle on No. 8.

”Honestly, going into the round, I was thinking maybe the front nine was kind of going to be the tougher nine,” Shon said. ”So I just was pacing myself, trying to stay in the moment and hit every shot the best as I could. I don’t know, the back side, my putter started getting hot.”

Article continues below …

Born in South Korea, the 26-year-old American is winless in four seasons on the LPGA Tour. She began the final-nine run with a birdie on the par-5 first, birdied the par-3 fourth, par-5 fifth and par-7 seventh, eagled No. 8 and closed with a birdie on the par-4 ninth.

”I haven’t liked this golf course, but to be honest, it’s playing a l..

Ernie Els puts it on the green with his tee shot on the par-3 7th hole at Shinnecock Hills. Sponsored by #Lexus