US Open's 'ridiculous' 300 yard par-3
The par-3 eighth at Oakmont, host of the US Open, is tipped to re-set its own record for the longest par-3 in the tournament's history.
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Time of India
27 minutes ago
- Time of India
US Open Golf: JJ Spaun seizes early lead as Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy struggle
JJ Spaun celebrates after making a putt on the eighth hole during the first round of the US Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. (AP) Oakmont: J.J. Spaun matched the best first round in a US Open at Oakmont to grab a one-stroke lead after 18 holes while Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy were among many stars who struggled. Spaun defied Oakmont's fearsome reputation by conjuring a bogey-free, four-under par 66 -- his lowest round in nine major championship starts. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The 34-year-old American equaled the lowest first round of any US Open at Oakmont, a 66 by American Andrew Landry in 2016, producing only the eighth bogey-free US Open round at the Pennsylvania club hosting for a record 10th time. "I'm just overly pleased with how I started," Spaun said. "I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalise on any birdie opportunities, which aren't very many out here. "But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a US Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round." — usopengolf (@usopengolf) Spaun started on the back nine, birdied four of his first eight holes, then parred his way to the clubhouse, his first-nine 31 a best for an Oakmont US Open. "This is probably one of my better putting rounds all season," Spaun said. He salvaged pars after finding the Church Pew bunker at the fourth hole and a bunker at the sixth. "Those are huge, especially at a US Open, to keep your round going and not go the other way," Spaun said. South African Thriston Lawrence was second on 67 with South Koreans Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae on 68 with five-time major winner Brooks Kopeka. "I definitely think it was gettable," Koepka said of the course. American Koepka sank a 42-foot eagle putt at the fourth, made bogeys at the 10th and 14th holes then closed with back-to-back birdies from five feet at 17 and 16 feet at 18. "I played pretty consistent, drove it really well," Koepka said. "Iron play was pretty good. When I did miss it, I felt like I missed it in the correct spots." World number one Scheffler, trying to win back-to-back majors after taking the PGA Championship in May, endured a roller-coaster round of 73 with three birdies and six bogeys -- his worst opening major round to par. "I made some silly mistakes out there," Scheffler said. "But at the same time, I made some key putts and some good momentum saves -- overall just need to be a little sharper." Scheffler, whose nine wins last year included Paris Olympic gold, has won three of his past four starts. Second-ranked McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, shot 74. The back-nine starter birdied 11 and 12 but made four bogeys and a double bogey on his second nine. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau shot 73 with five bogeys and two birdies. "Pretty disappointed with how I played," DeChambeau said. Six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson, who turns 55 on Monday, opened with a 74 in his bid to complete a career Grand Slam. Im briefly had the solo lead at five-under but three bogeys in his last seven holes derailed him. "I played five-under but ended up at two-under," Im said. "I planned to shoot under par, so I made the goal." Two-time major winner Jon Rahm was in a pack on 69. "I'm extremely happy," the Spaniard said. "I played some incredible golf to shoot one-under." Reed makes an albatross American Patrick Reed made the fourth albatross in US Open history with a three-wood from the fairway from 286 yards on the fourth hole -- the first at any major since Nick Watney in the 2012 US Open at Olympic Club. "Just happened to be a perfect spot, perfect club," Reed said. "For it to go obviously is a bonus." Ireland's Shane Lowry holed out from 160 yards out in the fairway for the first US Open eagle at Oakmont's third hole, but it was his lone bright spot in shooting 79. American Maxwell Moldovan made the first US Open eagle at the first, holing out from the fairway from 189 yards, then looking to the heavens with a smile. He fired a 76. js/bb
RTHK
43 minutes ago
- RTHK
Spaun grabs US Open lead as Scheffler, McIlroy falter
Spaun grabs US Open lead as Scheffler, McIlroy falter Spaun notched his lowest round in nine major championship starts. Photo: Reuters J.J. Spaun matched the best first round in a US Open at Oakmont to grab a one-stroke lead after 18 holes while Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy were among many stars who struggled. Spaun defied Oakmont's fearsome reputation by conjuring a bogey-free, four-under par 66 – his lowest round in nine major championship starts. The 34-year-old American equaled the lowest first round of any US Open at Oakmont, a 66 by American Andrew Landry in 2016, producing only the eighth bogey-free US Open round at the Pennsylvania club hosting for a record 10th time. "I'm just overly pleased with how I started," Spaun said. "I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalise on any birdie opportunities, which aren't very many out here." "But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a US Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round," he added. Spaun started on the back nine, birdied four of his first eight holes, then parred his way to the clubhouse, his first-nine 31 a best for an Oakmont US Open. "This is probably one of my better putting rounds all season," Spaun said. He salvaged pars after finding the Church Pew bunker at the fourth hole and a bunker at the sixth. "Those are huge, especially at a US Open, to keep your round going and not go the other way," Spaun said. South African Thriston Lawrence was second on 67 with South Koreans Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae on 68 with five-time major winner Brooks Kopeka. "I definitely think it was gettable," Koepka said of the course. American Koepka sank a 42-foot eagle putt at the fourth, made bogeys at the 10th and 14th holes then closed with back-to-back birdies from five feet at 17 and 16 feet at 18. "I played pretty consistent, drove it really well," Koepka said. "Iron play was pretty good. When I did miss it, I felt like I missed it in the correct spots." World number one Scheffler, trying to win back-to-back majors after taking the PGA Championship in May, endured a roller-coaster round of 73 with three birdies and six bogeys – his worst opening major round to par. "I made some silly mistakes out there," Scheffler said. "But at the same time, I made some key putts and some good momentum saves – overall just need to be a little sharper." Scheffler, whose nine wins last year included Paris Olympic gold, has won three of his past four starts. Second-ranked McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters, shot 74. The back-nine starter birdied 11 and 12 but made four bogeys and a double bogey on his second nine. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau shot 73 with five bogeys and two birdies. "Pretty disappointed with how I played," DeChambeau said. Six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson, who turns 55 on Monday, opened with a 74 in his bid to complete a career Grand Slam. Im briefly had the solo lead at five-under but three bogeys in his last seven holes derailed him. "I played five-under but ended up at two-under," Im said. "I planned to shoot under par, so I made the goal." Two-time major winner Jon Rahm was in a pack on 69. "I'm extremely happy," the Spaniard said. "I played some incredible golf to shoot one-under." American Patrick Reed made the fourth albatross in US Open history with a three-wood from the fairway from 286 yards on the fourth hole – the first at any major since Nick Watney in the 2012 US Open at Olympic Club. "Just happened to be a perfect spot, perfect club," Reed said. "For it to go obviously is a bonus." Ireland's Shane Lowry holed out from 160 yards out in the fairway for the first US Open eagle at Oakmont's third hole, but it was his lone bright spot in shooting 79. American Maxwell Moldovan made the first US Open eagle at the first, holing out from the fairway from 189 yards, then looking to the heavens with a smile. He fired a 76. (AFP)
The Advertiser
an hour 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
