US Open underway with a tough test facing all
The first shot of the 125th US Open embodied so much of what this championship is about. Matt Vogt, an Indiana dentist who went through 54 holes of qualifying, sent his tee shot soaring into the rough at Oakmont.
Vogt, who once caddied at Oakmont before moving on to root canals, managed to use the severe slope of the first fairway for his ball to tumble onto the green for a par.
There are high expectations everywhere at the major known as the toughest test in golf — for Scottie Scheffler, the world No.1; for Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion; and for everyone to face an Oakmont course reputed to be the toughest in the land.
"Oakmont is relentless," said John Bodenhamer, the chief championships officer at the USGA who sets up the course. "There's no let up. It's a grind. That's the US Open."
The USGA is particularly fond of Oakmont, a big reason why the U.S. Open returns to his course for a record 10th time.
It has been on the minds of all 156 players — from Scheffler and Masters champion Rory McIlroy to the 15 amateurs, and for the 16 players, like Vogt, who had to make it through 18 holes of local qualifying and then 36 holes.
Zac Blair had the first birdie of this championship, holing a putt from nearly 45 feet on the 10th hole after starting his round on the back nine.
Alistair Docherty suffered the first of what figures to be plenty of crashes. From just short of the 10th green, it took him two hacks to get it out of the cabbage-like rough, the second chip rolling and rolling some 12 feet by the hole.
That's what Oakmont does — thick, gnarly rough and some of the fastest putting surfaces around. The USGA pointed out on the eve of the championship that only 27 of the 1,385 players who have competed in a major championship at Oakmont finished under par.
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The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Great Scott in the mix, stars fail 'brutal' major test
Golf's biggest names slipped up and most Australians perished in a typically rough start to the US Open at fearsome Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. American JJ Spaun produced a majestic bogey-free four-under 66 to claim a one-shot first-round lead as only 10 players in the 156-man field broke par on the Open rota's most difficult were shanks and air-swings from the savage rough as 16 players shot 80 or worse, including American qualifier George Duangmanee, who propped up the field with a 16-over-par 86. Former world No.1 Adam Scott (70) and the resurgent Marc Leishman (71), playing his first major championship since the 2022 British Open, are the only Australians seemingly still in contention after Cam Davis (74), Cameron Smith (75), Jason Day (76) and Min Woo Lee (77) all struggled. Heavyweights Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy also have work to do to make the halfway cut as Oakmont bared its teeth once more. Tiger Woods is the only top-ranked player ever to win the Open at the brutal venue, and the curse of the world No.1 struck Scheffler, who could only manage a three-over 73 to be seven shots adrift of Spaun. Pre-tournament second favourite DeChambeau also opened with a 73, while Masters champ McIlroy is one stroke further back, right on the cut line in a tie for 62nd, after shooting 41 on his inward nine. "It got me," said defending champion DeChambeau. "Even for a guy like me, I can't get out of it some of the times, depending on the lie. It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf." Scott is tied for 11th after grinding out an even-par round despite suffering another dispiriting late lapse after a rousing early-morning effort on Thursday (Friday AEST). The 44-year-old was right in the thick of the hunt for the clubhouse lead as he reached the turn in two under after racking up five front-nine birdies. But dropped shots at the third and eighth holes - his 12th and 17th after starting from No.10 - dragged the veteran back to level par, four shots adrift of Spaun. Monday qualifier Leishman hit only three fairways but scrambled brilliantly to grab a share of 20th spot. Mixing five front-nine birdies with three bogeys, 2013 Masters champion Scott's round was a topsy-turvy affair from the start. The 34-year-old Spaun, who lost to McIlroy in a play-off at The Players Championship in March, recorded his lowest ever round in a major to nab a one-stroke advantage over unheralded South African Thriston Lawrence. Spaun, who started on the back nine, had a spectacular start reaching the turn with four birdies to become the first player ever to cover the first nine in the opening round of an Oakmont US Open in 31 strokes or fewer. Two-time US Open winner since Brooks Koepka is well poised in a tie for third at two under with South Koreans Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im. Im got to five under to briefly enjoy the outright lead before three late bogeys left him to match Koepka's 68. In-form Ben Griffin, fellow American James Nicholas and Belgian Thomas Detry, Spain's two-time major champ Jon Rahm and Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen all posted 69s to be the only other players in red numbers. The shot of the day was Patrick Reed's amazing second on the 621-yard fourth hole, which the former Masters champ holed from 286 yards for only the fourth albatross in US Open history. With agencies Golf's biggest names slipped up and most Australians perished in a typically rough start to the US Open at fearsome Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. American JJ Spaun produced a majestic bogey-free four-under 66 to claim a one-shot first-round lead as only 10 players in the 156-man field broke par on the Open rota's most difficult were shanks and air-swings from the savage rough as 16 players shot 80 or worse, including American qualifier George Duangmanee, who propped up the field with a 16-over-par 86. Former world No.1 Adam Scott (70) and the resurgent Marc Leishman (71), playing his first major championship since the 2022 British Open, are the only Australians seemingly still in contention after Cam Davis (74), Cameron Smith (75), Jason Day (76) and Min Woo Lee (77) all struggled. Heavyweights Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy also have work to do to make the halfway cut as Oakmont bared its teeth once more. Tiger Woods is the only top-ranked player ever to win the Open at the brutal venue, and the curse of the world No.1 struck Scheffler, who could only manage a three-over 73 to be seven shots adrift of Spaun. Pre-tournament second favourite DeChambeau also opened with a 73, while Masters champ McIlroy is one stroke further back, right on the cut line in a tie for 62nd, after shooting 41 on his inward nine. "It got me," said defending champion DeChambeau. "Even for a guy like me, I can't get out of it some of the times, depending on the lie. It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf." Scott is tied for 11th after grinding out an even-par round despite suffering another dispiriting late lapse after a rousing early-morning effort on Thursday (Friday AEST). The 44-year-old was right in the thick of the hunt for the clubhouse lead as he reached the turn in two under after racking up five front-nine birdies. But dropped shots at the third and eighth holes - his 12th and 17th after starting from No.10 - dragged the veteran back to level par, four shots adrift of Spaun. Monday qualifier Leishman hit only three fairways but scrambled brilliantly to grab a share of 20th spot. Mixing five front-nine birdies with three bogeys, 2013 Masters champion Scott's round was a topsy-turvy affair from the start. The 34-year-old Spaun, who lost to McIlroy in a play-off at The Players Championship in March, recorded his lowest ever round in a major to nab a one-stroke advantage over unheralded South African Thriston Lawrence. Spaun, who started on the back nine, had a spectacular start reaching the turn with four birdies to become the first player ever to cover the first nine in the opening round of an Oakmont US Open in 31 strokes or fewer. Two-time US Open winner since Brooks Koepka is well poised in a tie for third at two under with South Koreans Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im. Im got to five under to briefly enjoy the outright lead before three late bogeys left him to match Koepka's 68. In-form Ben Griffin, fellow American James Nicholas and Belgian Thomas Detry, Spain's two-time major champ Jon Rahm and Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen all posted 69s to be the only other players in red numbers. The shot of the day was Patrick Reed's amazing second on the 621-yard fourth hole, which the former Masters champ holed from 286 yards for only the fourth albatross in US Open history. With agencies Golf's biggest names slipped up and most Australians perished in a typically rough start to the US Open at fearsome Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. American JJ Spaun produced a majestic bogey-free four-under 66 to claim a one-shot first-round lead as only 10 players in the 156-man field broke par on the Open rota's most difficult were shanks and air-swings from the savage rough as 16 players shot 80 or worse, including American qualifier George Duangmanee, who propped up the field with a 16-over-par 86. Former world No.1 Adam Scott (70) and the resurgent Marc Leishman (71), playing his first major championship since the 2022 British Open, are the only Australians seemingly still in contention after Cam Davis (74), Cameron Smith (75), Jason Day (76) and Min Woo Lee (77) all struggled. Heavyweights Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy also have work to do to make the halfway cut as Oakmont bared its teeth once more. Tiger Woods is the only top-ranked player ever to win the Open at the brutal venue, and the curse of the world No.1 struck Scheffler, who could only manage a three-over 73 to be seven shots adrift of Spaun. Pre-tournament second favourite DeChambeau also opened with a 73, while Masters champ McIlroy is one stroke further back, right on the cut line in a tie for 62nd, after shooting 41 on his inward nine. "It got me," said defending champion DeChambeau. "Even for a guy like me, I can't get out of it some of the times, depending on the lie. It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf." Scott is tied for 11th after grinding out an even-par round despite suffering another dispiriting late lapse after a rousing early-morning effort on Thursday (Friday AEST). The 44-year-old was right in the thick of the hunt for the clubhouse lead as he reached the turn in two under after racking up five front-nine birdies. But dropped shots at the third and eighth holes - his 12th and 17th after starting from No.10 - dragged the veteran back to level par, four shots adrift of Spaun. Monday qualifier Leishman hit only three fairways but scrambled brilliantly to grab a share of 20th spot. Mixing five front-nine birdies with three bogeys, 2013 Masters champion Scott's round was a topsy-turvy affair from the start. The 34-year-old Spaun, who lost to McIlroy in a play-off at The Players Championship in March, recorded his lowest ever round in a major to nab a one-stroke advantage over unheralded South African Thriston Lawrence. Spaun, who started on the back nine, had a spectacular start reaching the turn with four birdies to become the first player ever to cover the first nine in the opening round of an Oakmont US Open in 31 strokes or fewer. Two-time US Open winner since Brooks Koepka is well poised in a tie for third at two under with South Koreans Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im. Im got to five under to briefly enjoy the outright lead before three late bogeys left him to match Koepka's 68. In-form Ben Griffin, fellow American James Nicholas and Belgian Thomas Detry, Spain's two-time major champ Jon Rahm and Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen all posted 69s to be the only other players in red numbers. The shot of the day was Patrick Reed's amazing second on the 621-yard fourth hole, which the former Masters champ holed from 286 yards for only the fourth albatross in US Open history. With agencies Golf's biggest names slipped up and most Australians perished in a typically rough start to the US Open at fearsome Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. American JJ Spaun produced a majestic bogey-free four-under 66 to claim a one-shot first-round lead as only 10 players in the 156-man field broke par on the Open rota's most difficult were shanks and air-swings from the savage rough as 16 players shot 80 or worse, including American qualifier George Duangmanee, who propped up the field with a 16-over-par 86. Former world No.1 Adam Scott (70) and the resurgent Marc Leishman (71), playing his first major championship since the 2022 British Open, are the only Australians seemingly still in contention after Cam Davis (74), Cameron Smith (75), Jason Day (76) and Min Woo Lee (77) all struggled. Heavyweights Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy also have work to do to make the halfway cut as Oakmont bared its teeth once more. Tiger Woods is the only top-ranked player ever to win the Open at the brutal venue, and the curse of the world No.1 struck Scheffler, who could only manage a three-over 73 to be seven shots adrift of Spaun. Pre-tournament second favourite DeChambeau also opened with a 73, while Masters champ McIlroy is one stroke further back, right on the cut line in a tie for 62nd, after shooting 41 on his inward nine. "It got me," said defending champion DeChambeau. "Even for a guy like me, I can't get out of it some of the times, depending on the lie. It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf." Scott is tied for 11th after grinding out an even-par round despite suffering another dispiriting late lapse after a rousing early-morning effort on Thursday (Friday AEST). The 44-year-old was right in the thick of the hunt for the clubhouse lead as he reached the turn in two under after racking up five front-nine birdies. But dropped shots at the third and eighth holes - his 12th and 17th after starting from No.10 - dragged the veteran back to level par, four shots adrift of Spaun. Monday qualifier Leishman hit only three fairways but scrambled brilliantly to grab a share of 20th spot. Mixing five front-nine birdies with three bogeys, 2013 Masters champion Scott's round was a topsy-turvy affair from the start. The 34-year-old Spaun, who lost to McIlroy in a play-off at The Players Championship in March, recorded his lowest ever round in a major to nab a one-stroke advantage over unheralded South African Thriston Lawrence. Spaun, who started on the back nine, had a spectacular start reaching the turn with four birdies to become the first player ever to cover the first nine in the opening round of an Oakmont US Open in 31 strokes or fewer. Two-time US Open winner since Brooks Koepka is well poised in a tie for third at two under with South Koreans Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im. Im got to five under to briefly enjoy the outright lead before three late bogeys left him to match Koepka's 68. In-form Ben Griffin, fellow American James Nicholas and Belgian Thomas Detry, Spain's two-time major champ Jon Rahm and Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen all posted 69s to be the only other players in red numbers. The shot of the day was Patrick Reed's amazing second on the 621-yard fourth hole, which the former Masters champ holed from 286 yards for only the fourth albatross in US Open history. With agencies
The Advertiser
7 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Insane: Unsuspecting Reed lands albatross at US Open
Patrick Reed made the third double-eagle of his career on Thursday - and he's still only seen one of them go in. Reed raised his hands to the sky, wondering what happened when he unleashed a three-wood from 286 yards in the fairway of the par-5 fourth hole at the US Open. It was a beauty. The ball bounced three times then rolled towards the hole and into the cup. The so-called albatross is considered the rarest shot in golf, with only a few hundred dropping a year, compared to more than 30,000 holes-in-one. Reed said the best one he hit came at a tournament in Germany, when he came out in the morning to finish the last four holes after getting rained out the night before. He had two par 5s left and his wife, Justine, was urging him to attack those and get to three under. He parred the first, then made double eagle to close. "Two hours later, she was back at home and said, 'Way to finish the par 5s,'" Reed said. "I said, 'Did you actually look at the scorecard?' She said, 'No, I just saw you were at three under.' She clicked on it, and just looked at me. Hey, she told me to get to three under, she didn't tell me how to do it." The only one Reed saw came at Dominion Country Club in San Antonio when he was a kid. He hit driver off the deck onto the green while the group in front of him was still putting. "They turned around and looked at me, then they all started jumping because they watched the ball roll right past them and disappear," Reed said. "I didn't know I could get there." This marks just the fourth albatross at the US Open since the event started keeping such records in 1983. The 2018 Masters champion joins T.C. Chen (1985 at Oakland Hills), Shaun Micheel (2010 at Pebble Beach) and Nick Watney (2012 at Olympic). Despite the two on No.12, Reed finished at three-over 73 after finishing with triple bogey on No.18. "I was doing pretty well there until that last hole," Reed said. Patrick Reed made the third double-eagle of his career on Thursday - and he's still only seen one of them go in. Reed raised his hands to the sky, wondering what happened when he unleashed a three-wood from 286 yards in the fairway of the par-5 fourth hole at the US Open. It was a beauty. The ball bounced three times then rolled towards the hole and into the cup. The so-called albatross is considered the rarest shot in golf, with only a few hundred dropping a year, compared to more than 30,000 holes-in-one. Reed said the best one he hit came at a tournament in Germany, when he came out in the morning to finish the last four holes after getting rained out the night before. He had two par 5s left and his wife, Justine, was urging him to attack those and get to three under. He parred the first, then made double eagle to close. "Two hours later, she was back at home and said, 'Way to finish the par 5s,'" Reed said. "I said, 'Did you actually look at the scorecard?' She said, 'No, I just saw you were at three under.' She clicked on it, and just looked at me. Hey, she told me to get to three under, she didn't tell me how to do it." The only one Reed saw came at Dominion Country Club in San Antonio when he was a kid. He hit driver off the deck onto the green while the group in front of him was still putting. "They turned around and looked at me, then they all started jumping because they watched the ball roll right past them and disappear," Reed said. "I didn't know I could get there." This marks just the fourth albatross at the US Open since the event started keeping such records in 1983. The 2018 Masters champion joins T.C. Chen (1985 at Oakland Hills), Shaun Micheel (2010 at Pebble Beach) and Nick Watney (2012 at Olympic). Despite the two on No.12, Reed finished at three-over 73 after finishing with triple bogey on No.18. "I was doing pretty well there until that last hole," Reed said. Patrick Reed made the third double-eagle of his career on Thursday - and he's still only seen one of them go in. Reed raised his hands to the sky, wondering what happened when he unleashed a three-wood from 286 yards in the fairway of the par-5 fourth hole at the US Open. It was a beauty. The ball bounced three times then rolled towards the hole and into the cup. The so-called albatross is considered the rarest shot in golf, with only a few hundred dropping a year, compared to more than 30,000 holes-in-one. Reed said the best one he hit came at a tournament in Germany, when he came out in the morning to finish the last four holes after getting rained out the night before. He had two par 5s left and his wife, Justine, was urging him to attack those and get to three under. He parred the first, then made double eagle to close. "Two hours later, she was back at home and said, 'Way to finish the par 5s,'" Reed said. "I said, 'Did you actually look at the scorecard?' She said, 'No, I just saw you were at three under.' She clicked on it, and just looked at me. Hey, she told me to get to three under, she didn't tell me how to do it." The only one Reed saw came at Dominion Country Club in San Antonio when he was a kid. He hit driver off the deck onto the green while the group in front of him was still putting. "They turned around and looked at me, then they all started jumping because they watched the ball roll right past them and disappear," Reed said. "I didn't know I could get there." This marks just the fourth albatross at the US Open since the event started keeping such records in 1983. The 2018 Masters champion joins T.C. Chen (1985 at Oakland Hills), Shaun Micheel (2010 at Pebble Beach) and Nick Watney (2012 at Olympic). Despite the two on No.12, Reed finished at three-over 73 after finishing with triple bogey on No.18. "I was doing pretty well there until that last hole," Reed said. Patrick Reed made the third double-eagle of his career on Thursday - and he's still only seen one of them go in. Reed raised his hands to the sky, wondering what happened when he unleashed a three-wood from 286 yards in the fairway of the par-5 fourth hole at the US Open. It was a beauty. The ball bounced three times then rolled towards the hole and into the cup. The so-called albatross is considered the rarest shot in golf, with only a few hundred dropping a year, compared to more than 30,000 holes-in-one. Reed said the best one he hit came at a tournament in Germany, when he came out in the morning to finish the last four holes after getting rained out the night before. He had two par 5s left and his wife, Justine, was urging him to attack those and get to three under. He parred the first, then made double eagle to close. "Two hours later, she was back at home and said, 'Way to finish the par 5s,'" Reed said. "I said, 'Did you actually look at the scorecard?' She said, 'No, I just saw you were at three under.' She clicked on it, and just looked at me. Hey, she told me to get to three under, she didn't tell me how to do it." The only one Reed saw came at Dominion Country Club in San Antonio when he was a kid. He hit driver off the deck onto the green while the group in front of him was still putting. "They turned around and looked at me, then they all started jumping because they watched the ball roll right past them and disappear," Reed said. "I didn't know I could get there." This marks just the fourth albatross at the US Open since the event started keeping such records in 1983. The 2018 Masters champion joins T.C. Chen (1985 at Oakland Hills), Shaun Micheel (2010 at Pebble Beach) and Nick Watney (2012 at Olympic). Despite the two on No.12, Reed finished at three-over 73 after finishing with triple bogey on No.18. "I was doing pretty well there until that last hole," Reed said.
7NEWS
9 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Adam Scott in the mix as big names falter in brutal US Open start
Golf's biggest names slipped up and most Australians perished in a typically rough start to the US Open at fearsome Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. American JJ Spaun produced a majestic bogey-free four-under 66 to claim a one-shot first-round lead as only 10 players in the 156-man field broke par on the Open rota's most difficult layout. There were shanks and air-swings from the savage rough as 16 players shot 80 or worse, including American qualifier George Duangmanee, who propped up the field with a 16-over-par 86. Former world No.1 Adam Scott (70) and the resurgent Marc Leishman (71), playing his first major championship since the 2022 British Open, are the only Australians seemingly still in contention after Cam Davis (74), Cameron Smith (75), Jason Day (76) and Min Woo Lee (77) all struggled. Heavyweights Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy also have work to do to make the halfway cut as Oakmont bared its teeth once more. Tiger Woods is the only top-ranked player ever to win the Open at the brutal venue, and the curse of the world No.1 struck Scheffler, who could only manage a three-over 73 to be seven shots adrift of Spaun. Pre-tournament second favourite DeChambeau also opened with a 73, while Masters champ McIlroy is one stroke further back, right on the cut line in a tie for 62nd, after shooting 41 on his inward nine. 'It got me,' said defending champion DeChambeau. 'Even for a guy like me, I can't get out of it some of the times, depending on the lie. It was tough. It was a brutal test of golf.' Scott is tied for 11th after grinding out an even-par round despite suffering another dispiriting late lapse after a rousing early-morning effort on Thursday (Friday AEST). The 44-year-old was right in the thick of the hunt for the clubhouse lead as he reached the turn in two under after racking up five front-nine birdies. But dropped shots at the third and eighth holes - his 12th and 17th after starting from No.10 - dragged the veteran back to level par, four shots adrift of Spaun. Monday qualifier Leishman hit only three fairways but scrambled brilliantly to grab a share of 20th spot. Mixing five front-nine birdies with three bogeys, 2013 Masters champion Scott's round was a topsy-turvy affair from the start. The 34-year-old Spaun, who lost to McIlroy in a play-off at The Players Championship in March, recorded his lowest ever round in a major to nab a one-stroke advantage over unheralded South African Thriston Lawrence. Spaun, who started on the back nine, had a spectacular start reaching the turn with four birdies to become the first player ever to cover the first nine in the opening round of an Oakmont US Open in 31 strokes or fewer. Two-time US Open winner since Brooks Koepka is well poised in a tie for third at two under with South Koreans Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im. Im got to five under to briefly enjoy the outright lead before three late bogeys left him to match Koepka's 68. In-form Ben Griffin, fellow American James Nicholas and Belgian Thomas Detry, Spain's two-time major champ Jon Rahm and Dane Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen all posted 69s to be the only other players in red numbers. The shot of the day was Patrick Reed's amazing second on the 621-yard fourth hole, which the former Masters champ holed from 286 yards for only the fourth albatross in US Open history. Reed raised his hands to the sky, wondering what happened when he unleashed a three-wood from 286 yards in the fairway of the par-5 fourth hole at the US Open. It was a beauty. The ball bounced three times then rolled towards the hole and into the cup. The so-called albatross is considered the rarest shot in golf, with only a few hundred dropping a year, compared to more than 30,000 holes-in-one.
