Six over to six under: Keith Mitchell makes history at Shinnecock with crazy even-par round

Keith Mitchell hasn’t played a U.S. Open since 2023, but he was thrown into the fire on Thursday.

After earning his ticket through final qualifying earlier this month, the 34-year-old — who is making his 15th major championship start — began his Shinnecock campaign on the back nine… and it wasn’t pretty.

Double bogey. Bogey. Bogey. Bogey. Bogey. (Some pars peppered in.)

Mitchell made the turn with a 6-over 41 on Nos. 10-18.

The tide changed when Mitchell took advantage of Shinnecock’s deceptively “easy” opening hole, birdieing the par-4 first. He would birdie Nos. 3 and 4 before making eagle at the par-5 fifth. He tacked on one more birdie on No. 9 to close with a 6-under 29 on the front nine.

The end result? Even-par 70. Still in contention. Disaster avoided.

Perspective here is key.

Golf is a mind game, with its biggest fans lamenting about how it tortures them one day and then blesses them the next. Or, in this case, that whiplash of emotion happened in the same round.

Here are some stats from the U.S. Open and Tour that really drive home the day Mitchell had:

• Mitchell is the first player ever to shoot a 29 on the front nine at Shinnecock. (U.S. Open)
• Mitchell recorded just the seventh nine-hole score of 29 in U.S. Open history. (U.S. Open)
• Mitchell’s front nine 29 equaled his best nine-hole score in 231 starts on the PGA Tour. (PGA Tour)
• The only other player to card a 29 in a U.S. Open at Shinnecock was Neal Lancaster on the back nine (the one that gave Mitchell trouble) in the final round of the 1995 tournament. (PGA Tour)