Oakmont, Pennsylvania – The first round of the 125th US Open at the Oakmont Country Club is featured in the book. One of the toughest tests of golf nibbled on a few players on Thursday, but a handful headed to Friday in hopes of a good fight on the course and continuing a strong start.
JJ Spaun shot a record 31 on the first nine holes of the championship, then held back the next nine and scored a 66 without a frightening bogey on the card to earn a first-round lead. Only the nine players behind Spaun are standard.
There are 54 holes left, so there are some that caught my eye on Thursday, and some that I’m looking at in the second round.
What did you see in Round 1? Also, how do you expect Oakmont to play the rest of the week?
Mark Schlabach: On Thursday there were many massacres in Oakmont. This made Spaun’s 4-under 66 even more impressive. It was Thursday after two-time major champion Xander Schauffele’s opening round, so it’s fortunate to keep it on the next 54 holes.
It seems it was difficult to get things back in the right direction, especially on the front nine, if the golfer round started going the wrong direction. The shortest par 4 at 4.91 and 17 (3.93), 327 yards, was the only hole with an average score. The longest PAR-4, ninth of 463 yards, was the most difficult (4.54).
It was hot on Thursday, so the course was exhausted in the afternoon. Conditions could be hard again as temperatures are expected to return on low Fridays in the 80s. There is a considerable chance of thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday, so things may soften over the weekend.
Liv Golf League captain Jon Rahm, who had the 1-under 69 card, said that afternoon was a lot different than morning. The average score of the afternoon wave was excellent at about one stroke.
“Some of those holes were playing a little short,” Rahm said. “Some of these bounces were probably a bit stiff.”
Paolo Object: Despite a shocking four-under round from JJ Spaun and 10 players finishing with pars, Oakmont still had the expected bite on Thursday. Among the best in the world was humbled by thick rough, deep bunkers and countless nasty lies, but a whopping 16 players finished over 10 overs. So even the world’s number one player made six bogeys. It’s the second mark in his career.
Of course, all of this was in plenty of rain last week for the course.
“The easiest way we can play this golf course is today,” Patrick Reed said. “Even though the wind was switching, when I was watching earlier in coverage, the guys were spinning the ball back up the hill to 1 and 10. That’s not going to happen again.”
“It’s probably not as hard as a typical US open,” Brooks Koepka said. “I mean, I understand that it was raining on Sunday night so I get it, but it’s still the case – there’s a bit of a fever this weekend.”
The heat is coming. Thursday is probably the easiest course from a setup standpoint, and if the current forecast of more rain over the weekend continues, it’s not shocking to see USGA become a bit mean with pin positions and green speeds.
“You’re filming four level per rounds and walking with medals and trophies,” Bob McIntyre said. “I’m sure I’ll take it.”
I’m not sure if MacIntyre is right about that, but if someone else could replicate Spaun’s 66 the rest of the way, they’ll probably be in the best place to win the third major of the year.
Who works to be on Fridays to be on weekends?
Schlabach: Oakmont bit a lot of superstars on Thursday: World No. 1 Scotty Scheffler (3 over), Bryson Deconbeau (3 over), Masters winner Rory McIlroy (4 over), Patrick Cantray (6 over), Justin Thomas (6 over), Justin Rose (7 over), Cep Straka (8 over) Scheffler, Dechambeau and McIlroy may still be within impressive distance, but others have a lot to do if they’re going on weekends.
“I think Raf is incredibly punished,” Deccanbeau said. “Even for someone like me, depending on the lie, I can’t get out of it. It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf, but I’m excited for tomorrow.
The top 60 scores and tie make 36 holes cuts, and if Friday’s play is something like the opening round, the cut line will be a few strokes on par. After 18 holes, there were four golfers over four, but the cut line would likely rise.
Do you think it’s your favorite right now after round 1?
Schlabach: I’ll go with Brooks Koepka and I’ll admit that I was beginning to wonder if his days of fighting in the majors were over. He missed out on the Masters and the PGA Championship cut, but did not look very good at doing that.
Koepka’s results were not that good in the Liv Golf League. He came in 33rd at last week’s event in Gainesville, Virginia at 3 under.
However, the five-time major champion posted a 2-under 68, with only two backs from Spaun. He made the eagle fourth in the par 5, and made birdies at 17 and 18, regaining momentum in the rental housing.
“I thought I played pretty consistently, I drove it really well,” Koepka said. “The iron play was pretty good. When I missed it, I felt like I missed it in the right place. Some good bunker shots. I missed a bit of a short (putt) at 14. Other than that, I played very solidly.
Koepka only hit six of the 14 fairways, but got it on almost three strokes around the green and almost 1½ strokes from the tee and with a green.
He said he has worked for months through bad swing positions and poor habits. He got a good old ball in the bunker from swing coach Pete Cowen in Monday’s practice round. Koepka says that Cowen was torn by him so badly that Justin Thomas had to check him out.
“Yeah, Pete, I’ll keep it between us,” Koepka said. “I wasn’t happy with it, but it was something you think you needed to hear, or I had to listen at the right time. It’s not the first time he’s done it. He’s not afraid.”
uggetti: Before the tournament, I chose Rahm to win his second US Open. I think he remains a real favorite after going round Oakmont on Thursday with a rather clean 69 stroke. This is actually the sixth straight US open appearance at 69 when Rahm started the tournament.
“I’m extremely happy,” Rahm said. “I played incredible golf to shoot one under, but we don’t usually say it, right?”
Rahm scored 3.55 strokes in the opening round. The driver had struggled to get back to last year earlier this week, he said, and he made some changes and tweaks to some equipment, including a new shaft that apparently helped. He was well above field average for 10 of 14 fairways on Thursday, earning the top five in strokes: Approach.
Data Golf currently has a 15.3% chance of winning the tournament against Rahm (highest on the field), and if his putter has improved slightly (he lost about half a shot on the green), he will be in prime position on courses like Oakmont. Yes, I’m stuck to Spaniards.
The biggest surprise/big disappointment?
Schlabach: What about James Nicholas, the world’s number 502nd golfer? Although several attempts were required to qualify for the 28-year-old US Open, he appeared to belong to the 1-under 69 on Thursday.
Nicholas played one season of football and four seasons of golf at Yale. He was the 2019 Ivy League Player of the Year and spent last season on the DP World Tour. Better yet, his grandfather and father worked as orthopedic surgeons for the Jets, Knicks, Islanders and Rangers. Both were operated with the knees of former New York Jets quarterback Jonamas. Maybe Nicholas will ensure he will make the cut.
There are so many options for disappointment, but the course is difficult to throw away to anyone. I thought the results would improve for JT. JT is at risk of missing a cut with the third Straight Us Open and two consecutive majors. He lost more than two strokes on the approach, losing nine of the 18 fairways, and more than one stroke around the green. He putts a lot.
uggetti: The obvious answer is Spaun, but this is the guy who went to the playoffs with Rory McIlroy and players in March and had the opportunity to defeat him. What’s even more surprising is 3-under Thriston Lawrence, who competed in last year’s Open Championship, but missed out on a cut in the first two majors of the year.
“I feel like it suits me quite a bit,” Lawrence said of Oakmont. “I like tough tests and just the distance I hit it from the tee, I feel my target is very big because of the distance I hit from the tee.”
Lawrence had one true bad hole on Thursday – the par 4 ninth he doubled – but aside from that, he held a clean card and made four birdies. Lawrence scored strokes on the field in every category, but like Span, the putter (taken by 3.53 strokes) drove him into a strong round. Check if that continues.
As far as true disappointment is concerned, it’s easy to see McIlroy, Dechambeau and Scheffler. Five overs from players like Joaquín Niemann stands out just because he continues to struggle in the first round of the major championship and has won four events at LIV this year, but is still not really competing.
But neither of these players shot themselves out of the tournament as Shane Lowry did. The Irishman finished in the nine overs despite drilling a hole for the Eagle in the third hole. In other words, that could be even worse. Laurie last claimed when the US Open was at Oakmont in 2016, but if you want a shot this weekend this year, you have to expect a miracle on Friday.
