Tony Finau made a decent recovery Thursday during an adventurous first round of the U.S. Open, giving himself a good chance to make the 36-hole cut after posting a 5-over par 75 at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.
The Lehi resident was 4 over after seven holes and 5 over through 11 holes. He then experienced a five-hole stretch that included three birdies, a double bogey and a bogey. Finau, who is tied for 46th place, will tee off in Friday’s second round at 5:18 a.m. MDT.
Finau tied for 14th in his first U.S. Open appearance in 2015, but missed the cut by one stroke in 2016 and failed to qualify for last June’s event. He tied for 10th in the Masters in April.
Playing in the final threesome that went off the No. 1 tee Thursday, BYU golfer Rhett Rasmussen made four bogeys and three double bogeys in shooting an 80 that left him tied for 128th. Rasmussen had played a fairly solid back nine before making a double on the par-4 No. 18. Among the 20 amateurs in the field, Rasmussen is tied for eighth.
Scott Piercy, who began his college career at BYU before transferring to San Diego State, is a tournament co-leader with a 69.
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