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While everyone was skeptical of the greens at Pinehurst No. 2 for the US Open, Matteo Manassero became the first victim of them after his putt attempt failed miserably during the first round.
On Thursday, June 13, Manassero was part of the first group to tee off from the tenth hole at Pinehurst. He started the first round of the US Open along with Rico Hoey and Tom McKibbin at 6:45 am ET.
Manassero's first putt attempt showed what we could expect from Pinehurst, as the ball started rolling backward on the sideways slope before stopping 46 feet away from the hole.
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Manassero's first hole at the US Open since 2016 didn't go as planned as he became a victim of the Pinehurst greens. Starting from the par-5, 619-yard tenth hole, his first shot landed right in the native area. The approach shot also landed in the left native area, as he was still 140 yards away from the hole. The third shot wasn't impressive either, as he found the right bunker. He finally reached the fairway on the fourth shot, just 50 feet away from the pin.
After failing to putt in his first attempt, the Italian golfer changed his strategy and hit the ball a bit faster, as it stopped just a little ahead of the pin. His third putt attempt also failed, as the ball stopped just two feet away from the hole. After a lot of struggle on the first hole, he settled for a triple bogey, hardly an ideal start on such a big stage.
Matteo Manassero is 5-over after playing just three holes at Pinehurst
At the time of writing this article, Matteo Manassero had played three holes and was 5-over for the first round of the US Open. He shot a triple bogey on the first hole, which was followed by an even par. However, the third hole also yielded poor results as he ended up making a double bogey.
On the par-4, 419-yard 13th hole, Manassero found the right fairway after hitting 287 yards off the tee. However, his approach shot landed in the bunker near the green. He then chipped to the right green, and the ball stopped just 21 feet away from the pin. From here, he triple-putted for a double bogey, going 5-over in just three holes.
Matteo Manassero is playing his fifth US Open and his first in eight years. He has missed just one cut previously but will need to pull up his socks this time amid difficult conditions.
