Who is Callum Tarren? The Darlington golfer who topped the US Open leaderboard

British golfer Callum Tarren admitted he was stunned to find his name on top of the leaderboard at the close of day one of the US Open.

The world number 445 went to toe to toe with Rory McIlroy, David Lingmerth and Joel Dahmen, carding an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys in an opening 67 to sit one shot off the top spot overnight.

"I’m kind of pinching myself because I didn’t realise my name was on the top of the leaderboard until I holed that final putt," said Tarren.

“I started off a little bit shaky. I won’t lie, I was nervous. I had, I think, 25 feet on my first hole (the 10th) and three-putted it, which wasn’t great, but then after three or four holes I kind of settled into the round."

But who is Callum Tarren and how did he shoot onto the international stage?

Who is Callum Tarren?

Tarren was born in Darlington in 1990 before taking up the sport at Dinsdale Golf Course.

He went to Darlington's Eastbourne Comprehensive and Queen Elizabeth Sixth Form before deciding to pursue golf full time, entering PGA China tour shortly afterwards.

His golfing career

After a stint in China, Tarren moved to the US to compete in the web.com or Korn Ferry Tour.

His emergence on the PGA tour came when finished joint-fourth at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.

But before Thursday's shock round, Tarren’s only other major start came in the 2019 US Open at Pebble Beach, where his clubs did not arrive until the Wednesday afternoon and he went on to miss the cut.

Two years on, Tarren bought not only his clubs but his A-game. It may be early days, but golf fans in the North East are already dreaming of one of the greatest sports stories in the region's history.