What a start to the US Open at Oakmont! Thirty-four-year-old American J.J. Spaun kicked things off in incredible fashion, matching the lowest first-round score ever seen at Oakmont during a US Open with a stellar 66. It was a bogey-free round, making it only the eighth time in the course’s history that a player has managed such a feat at the US Open, which is pretty amazing considering Oakmont is hosting for a record tenth time.
Spaun began his round on the back nine and absolutely crushed it, sinking four birdies in his first eight holes. He then played consistently, parring his way to the clubhouse. His first-nine score of 31 was the best ever recorded for a US Open at Oakmont. He even showed some impressive recovery skills, salvaging pars after landing in tricky bunkers at the fourth and sixth holes.
This fantastic performance gave Spaun a one-stroke lead after 18 holes, leaving some of golf’s biggest stars, like Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, struggling to keep up.
Right behind Spaun was South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who shot a 67. Close on his heels with a 68 were South Koreans Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae, as well as five-time major champion Brooks Koepka. Koepka’s round included an impressive 42-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole, despite a couple of bogeys on the 10th and 14th. He finished strong with back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th.
Meanwhile, it was a tough day for some of the favorites. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who’s been on a winning streak with three victories in his last four starts and is fresh off a PGA Championship win, had a rollercoaster round of 73. With three birdies and six bogeys, it was his worst opening major round to par.
Second-ranked Rory McIlroy, who recently completed his career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, also had a rough start, shooting a 74. Starting on the back nine, he managed birdies on the 11th and 12th but then struggled with four bogeys and a double bogey on his second nine.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau also found himself with a challenging round, shooting a 73 with five bogeys and two birdies.
It looks like the US Open at Oakmont is already shaping up to be an unpredictable and exciting tournament.
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