Rory McIlroy opens his US Open campaign at Shinnecock Hills with a one-under-par 69 on day one, describing his approach as focused on minimising mistakes in difficult playing conditions. Multiple outlets report that he carded the under-par score despite testing weather and course conditions, placing him near the top of the leaderboard after his first round. One report highlights that his 69 is significantly better than his opening-round score at the same venue in 2018, when he shot 80; the comparison indicates his start this year is 11 strokes better than his 2018 first effort. Across the coverage, the common theme is that McIlroy’s execution allows him to stay close to the leading positions early in the tournament by avoiding costly errors. The reports do not indicate any other specific incidents or major swings beyond the performance in his opening round and the broader conditions he faced at Shinnecock Hills.