CHORLEY'S Nick Dougherty was in dreamland last night after topping the US Open leaderboard.

Dougherty carded a late birdie to set the clubhouse target during the first round of the US Open at two under par.

Playing in his third US Open, Dougherty - a former QEGS pupil in Blackburn - overcame early trouble on the front nine with a solid finish.

Consecutive bogeys on the front nine dropped Dougherty to one over and he stayed there until a birdie on the 11th, where he fired a nine iron to 15 feet.

A seven iron to 13 feet on the 13th for another birdie got him under par and a wedge to six feet on 17 resulted in the final birdie of his round.

"I'm delighted with a 68," Dougherty said. "I didn't play all that well from tee to green but my short game was red-hot as it has been lately and I putted solidly."

Playing conditions are tough so far, par for the course at a US Open, but Dougherty believes the early starters caught a break on Wednesday night when nearly half an inch of rain was dumped on the course.

"The course is playing as good as it could be for us," added the former Walker Cup star.

"It's playing somewhat easier because you can stop the ball by the hole.

"It's still frightfully tough out there but the morning players definitely got the better half of it, especially if we don't get any more rain this week."

Also two under after six holes was American Kevin Sutherland, but Ian Poulter bogeyed the 18th, his ninth hole, to drop back to one under.

Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker were also one under alongside Angel Cabrera of Argentina.