McIlroy rides his hot putter to a 'great start' at Brookline despite late blemish

A 3-under 67 was enough to claim early lead on opening day of US Open and it could have been even better as he bogeys his final hole

Too hot to handle: Rory McIlroy reacts after a rare missed putt on the sixth hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at The Country Club, in Brookline, Mass. Pic: AP Photo/Charles Krupa

BROOKLINE, Mass. – Riding one of the better putting rounds of his career, Rory McIlroy once again staked himself atop the leaderboard early at a major championship.

With a 3-under 67 on Thursday at The Country Club, McIlroy grabbed a share of the first-round lead in the morning wave at the U.S. Open. His lone bogey of the day on the par-4 ninth — his 18th — dropped him into a four-way tie with England’s Callum Tarren, Sweden’s David Lingmerth and American Joel Dahmen.