Adam Hadwin of Canada fired a 4-under-par 66 late Thursday to secure the first-round lead in the US Open at The Country Club in Brookline. Hadwin moved ahead of Rory McIlroy, who shared the lead at the conclusion of his round and ended up in a five-way tie for second place at 3-under 67.

McIlroy, a four-time major champion from Northern Ireland, was tied with Joel Dahmen, England’s Callum Tarren, David Lingmerth of Sweden and MJ Daffue of South Africa. Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose of England, Dustin Johnson, Hayden Buckley, Matthew NeSmith, Brian Harman and Aaron Wise were tied for seventh at 2-under 68.

Hadwin compiled five birdies in a six-hole stretch to make the turn at 4-under 31. That included three straight birdies at Nos. 7-9, with his second shot at the par-4 ninth rolling to inside 3 feet of the pin.

After a bogey at the par-4 12th, Hadwin recovered with a birdie at the par-4 13th to re-establish himself as the sole leader. “Not much better of a start to a US Open... that you can ask for,” Hadwin told reporters. “I did a lot of good things. Got on a nice run there midway through the front. Then I kind of just held down the fort there the last little bit. Some key up-and-downs. Made a nice one from the fringe on 13. Just doing a lot of good things.”

Hadwin, 34, earned his only PGA Tour victory in 2017. He has never finished inside the top 20 at a major. “Sixtysix at a US Open to take the first-round lead is incredible,” Hadwin said.

McIlroy entered as the odds-on US Open favourite after he won the Canadian Open on Sunday. He stayed hot, starting his day on the back nine with two birdies before holing back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth holes to reach 4 under.