Kiwi golfer Danny Lee leads the Kiwi charge at the US Open, with American Justin Thomas setting the early pace at Winged Foot.
Lee is in a 12-way tie for 22nd, after an even par 70 opening round, five shots behind Thomas.
Lee was set for a better finish, but three bogeys on his final five holes saw him drop down the leaderboard, although he did finish with a birdie.
Fellow Kiwi Ryan Fox will need a strong second round to make the cut, with a four-over par 74 seeing him tied for 92nd.
But Fox isn't the only one needing a strong second round, with the likes of defending champion Gary Woodland, PGA Championship winner Colin Morikawa, world No.1 Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Serio Garcia all sitting outside the cut.
Thomas, who has one top-10 finish in five US Open starts and missed the cut last year at Pebble Beach, drained a 24-foot birdie putt at the 18th for a five-under-par 65.
That left him one shot clear of Belgian Thomas Pieters, American Matthew Wolff and Ryder Cup teammate Patrick Reed, who aced the par-three seventh.
Young American Will Zalatoris also aced the seventh hole - the previous five US Opens at Winged Foot had produced only two aces.
"It's one of the best rounds I've played in a while, tee to green," says Thomas. "There are a couple things here and there that definitely could have been better, but I made sure all of my misses were in the right spot and that's what you have to do at a US Open."
In his first start since becoming a father in August, four-time Major champion Rory McIlroy
was among a group of three golfers two shots off the lead, with the Northern Irishman later crediting a new approach for his solid start.
"First round of a Major, you're always anxious to play well and maybe I've over-thought it at times," says McIlroy. "I just went out today and took what was given to me - a little more relaxed - and played really nicely."
Newshub/Reuters
