Keith Mitchell’s Thursday at the 2026 U.S. Open was truly the tale of two nines.
He began the day on the back nine and made a double to begin. Four bogeys in his next six holes, and Mitchell turned in 41 and was at 6 over for the championship.
This is where we’ll imagine Mitchell made the turn, grabbed himself a hot dog and a beer and let loose the rest of the day. OK, maybe not at Shinnecock Hills in the U.S. Open, but whatever he did at the turn, he needs to keep doing exactly that.
Mitchell became the seventh player ever to shoot 29 as a nine-hole score in the national championship, coming home in 6 under on the front nine to sign for 70 in the first round.
Mitchell had birdies on Nos. 1, 3, 4 and 9 and added an eagle on the par-4 fifth, and it equals a 12-shot improvement from the first nine to second and a bit of history, too.
Even par in a U.S. Open is nothing to scoff at. Mitchell is probably happy his better nine came on the inward half. Imagine being 6 under in the U.S. Open and coming home in 41.
But that’s not what happened. He’s the first player to shoot 29 on the front nine at Shinnecock Hills and the seventh to ever shoot a 9-hole score of 29 in the U.S. Open.
And now, he gets to sit back, relax and watch carnage Thursday afternoon as he prepares for his Friday tee time.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, focusing on college and amateur golf as well as LIV Golf and the PGA Tou
