Major winner withdraws from 2026 U.S. Open after only 10 holes at Shinnecock Hills

The 2026 U.S. Open has its first high-profile casualty. 

Former world number one and 2015 PGA Championship winner Jason Day withdrew from the third men's major of the year through injury. 

Broadcast cameras captured Day looking uncomfortable and hopping into a golf cart before being whisked away. 

The United States Golf Association later confirmed Day, who was playing alongside Collin Morikawa and recent PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai, withdrew because of a back injury. 

Day wasn't having the best day anyway as he had made seven bogeys in his first nine holes. 

The popular Aussie, 38, is having a tough year on the PGA Tour.

He began the year well with a runner-up finish to Scottie Scheffler at the American Express in January but has struggled ever since. 

After the first round of the Memorial Tournament earlier in the month, Day opened up on some of the struggles is he having. 

Day said his struggles have absolutely nothing to do with his equipment he is using. 

"To be honest, I would say that a lot of the stress and pressure that I'm feeling is because I can't get the ball on the green,"

"I'm playing to miss a shot instead of playing to a target, just because I don't know what the ball's going to really do once it comes off the club face."

"It's nothing to do with the clubs. It's all kind of me in a sense that when you're fighting something, it's really hard to trust it."

Day added: "Luke, my caddie, is telling me: 'Put a good story on it', which means that, like, you're trying to tell yourself a good story to get yourself into the shot and visualise. 

"And when you're hitting it this way, it's really hard to kind of see that story and tell yourself and really trust and believe in it.

"So I think at some point I'll get beyond it. 

"It's really hard to be patient right now because every tournament I typically have three decent rounds and one bad round that just puts me out of the tournament. 

"I'm in the 30 to 60 finish position-wise. It's been a tough year."

The first round of the 2026 US Open was delayed for more than two hours because of fog. 

Former US Open champions Dustin Johnson, Wyndham Clark, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm were among those to make their way to the top of the leaderboard in the afternoon wave. 

World number one and pre-tournament favourite Scheffler signed for a two-over 72 and was later spotted having an animated discussion with his golf coach Randy Smith. 

Masters champion Rory McIlroy posted a 69. His entertaining opening round also saw a spectator pick up his golf ball.