Tournament favourite Rory McIlroy bogeyed his final hole to drop into a three-way share of the clubhouse lead at the US Open on Thursday.

McIlroy, who arrived at The Country Club outside Boston fresh off a successful title defence in Canada, used a red-hot putter to card a first-round three-under-par 67 that left him level with Englishman Callum Tarren and Swede David Lingmerth.

McIlroy, who started on the back nine, was one shot off the lead when disaster nearly struck as he caught a bad break at the par-four fifth hole where his tee shot settled in the tall grass on the lip of a bunker.

The Northern Irishman advanced his second shot 14 feet into another bunker, prompting him to slam his club twice into the sand in frustration before an impressive up and down that he capped with a 13-foot par putt.

McIlroy birdied the seventh and eighth holes to sit alone atop the leaderboard before failing to sink a 13-footer for par at the ninth.