J.J. Spaun handles tough Oakmont with the putter for a 66 and early US Open lead

Independent

21 hours ago

J.J. Spaun handled the toughest test with a club that never fails any U.S. Open. His putter carried him to a 4-under 66, only the second bogey-free round in the last three U.S. Opens at Oakmont for an early one-shot lead.
Spaun, who started his round by chipping in from ankle-deep rough just right of the 10th green, was walking down the 18th fairway when a spectator looked at the group's scoreboard and said, 'J.J. Spaun. He's 4 under?'
The emphasis was on the number, not the name.
Only five players from the morning wave managed to break par on an Oakmont course that was still trying to dry out from rain, and still very much holding its own. Thriston Lawrence of South Africa, who contended at Royal Troon last summer, had six birdies in a round of 67.
Si Woo Kim was at 68, with Ben Griffin and Thomas Detry at 69.
The course allowed plenty of birdies, and doled out plenty of punishment.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy also was bogey-free, at least on his opening nine. Then he three-putted for bogey on No. 1 and wound up with a 41 on the front nine for a 74. That included a 30-foot putt to save bogey after taking three hacks to get out of the rough on the par-5 fourth.
Shane Lowry became the first player to hole out from the fairway for eagle on No. 3. He also had three double bogeys and shot 79.
Spaun was not immune from this. He just made everything, particularly five par putts from 7 feet or longer.
'I think today was one of my best maybe putting days I've had maybe all year,' Spaun said. 'Converting those putts ... that's huge for momentum and keeping a round going, and that's kind of what happens here at U.S. Opens.'
Spaun wouldn't know that from experience. This is only his second U.S. Open, and his ninth major since his first one in 2018. He didn't have to qualify, moving to No. 25 in the world on the strength of his playoff loss to McIlroy at The Players Championship.
'I haven't played in too many,' Spaun said 'I knew it was going to be tough. I did my best just to grind through it all.'
It was every bit of a grind, from the rough and on the fast greens. Xander Schauffele had to birdie his last two holes to salvage a 72. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau had four bogeys over his last 10 holes for a 73. On this course, at this major, those weren't bad starts.
PGA champion Scottie Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player, was among those who played in the afternoon as the breeze got a little stronger, the greens got a little firmer and the rough stayed as thick as ever.
The average score already was in the 75 range as the late wave was starting out. Eight players already shot 80 or worse, including Matt Vogt, the Indiana dentist and former caddie at Oakmont.
Vogt was selected to hit the opening shot, an appropriate choice for a U.S. Open that prides itself on giving anyone a chance to qualify. He was among 16 players who had to go through two stages, 54 holes, just for a crack at Oakmont.
'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 U.S. Open.'
It was living up to its reputation in the opening round. Spaun managed to avoid any calamity. The chip-in on No. 10 to start his round was a bonus. His best shot was a long iron to 5 feet on the par-3 16th. His longest birdie putt was 12 feet on the short par-4 17th, where he drove to the collar of thick rough around the green.
But it was those par putts that saved him — from 8 feet on the par-5 fourth after driving in a grassy 'pew' in the famed Church Pew bunker; from 16 feet after finding a bunker off the tee on the par-3 sixth; and from 8 feet on the par-3 eighth toward the end of his round.
McIlroy's biggest putt was 30 feet on the fourth, and that was for bogey. He drove right into rough that came up to his shins. He hammered that shot all of 20 yards into more rough. The next one went 10 yards and stayed in the rough. He finally got out to the fairway, and from there was 30 feet left of the pin. So it could have been worse.
There also was the par-3 eighth, with a front pin so that it only played 276 yards. McIlroy went with 3-wood and sent that well right, where it disappeared into the high grass. Two hacks later, he was on his way to another double bogey.
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