Marc Warren delighted with opening round

• Marc Warren opens with two-under-par 68 at US Open
• Sits three shots behind leaders Johnson and Stenson
• Spoke about the physical test of Chambers Bay

Marc Warren was delighted with his start at the US Open after opening with a two-under-par round of 68 to sit inside the top ten.

The 34-year-old Scot started his round well and after birdies at the fourth and fifth holes, he reached the turn in 33 before back-to-back bogeys at the beginning of the back nine put him on the back foot.

However, Warren, who is playing in only his second US Open after his debut at the Olympic Club in 2012, responded with a birdie at the par-3 15th before finishing his round off in style with another birdie at the 617-yard par-5 final hole to sit three shots behind leaders Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson.

“It could have been one or two better” – Marc Warren

“It was a good start today,” said Marc Warren. “The first seven or eight holes were really solid. I was really patient and seemed to be hitting the golf ball in all the right places on the fairways and the greens.

“My swing just felt back in sync again and I played really well. It could have been one or two better, but to knock it on 18 in two and finish with a really good two-putt, it was a nice way to finish.”

The brutal nature of the Chambers Bay course has already brought its injuries, with Stephen Gallacher’s caddie Damian Moore damaging his ankle and being unable to carry the Scot’s bag, while Stenson’s caddie Gareth Lord injured his wrist.

CONTINUES BELOW…

And Marc Warren admits walking the Pacific Northwest course is a tough test, but says that he didn’t expect anything less from the USGA.

He said: “The elevation change around here is unusual for links golf and you’re going to feel it at the end of the day. I said to my caddie, Ken, that come Sunday you’re going to know you’ve been in a golf tournament the last week.

“You’ve actually got to be quite careful as well. There’s been a couple of injuries already. The grass being so shiny, it becomes sloppy when it dries out. It’s a tough walking course, a tough course mentally. But that’s what the USGA wants and expects in a US Open and that’s what the players expect as well.”

Marc Warren :: Can he keep it up?

A great start for the Scot, but can he maintain his first round form? Leave your thoughts in the ‘Comments’ section below.