Lynch: Oakmont mugged some top stars at the U.S. Open, but hope isn't lost. Well, for most

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OAKMONT, Pa. — Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't a sports psychologist but his advice on accepting finite disappointment while not losing infinite hope might have utility for competitors who step to the tee at Oakmont Country Club, even if it's awfully hard to observe that guidance until cards are signed about six hours later, often attesting to a total that falls short of aspirations.
The numbers posted Thursday at the 125th U.S. Open—or in round one at any tournament, for that matter—count about as much as a presidential election poll on Memorial Day. There's a long road ahead with more potholes than the Pennsylvania turnpike that bisects this storied venue outside Pittsburgh. A couple of years back, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler both shot 8-under-par 62s to lead at Los Angeles Country Club. By week's end, Fowler was 5 under and tied fifth while Schauffele was tied 10th, five worse than his first day total. Adam Hadwin led at 4 under after day one at Brookline in '22, which was three better than he finished. A year earlier, Russell Henley and Louis Oosthuizen were 4 under after 18. Oosthuizen ultimately finished second, but improved his total by only one stroke over the last three days. The '20 first round leader, Justin Thomas, lost 11 shots after this opening 65 at Winged Foot.
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Which is all to say that the USGA won't even give J.J. Spaun a sleeve of logoed, limited flight golf balls for his opening 66 at Oakmont.
The U.S. Open stands alone among major championships in that a player almost never claims to have gotten the most from their round, that they ran the gauntlet without squandered opportunities and dropped shots. Spaun can about say that though of his bogey-free score, a hugely impressive feat at Oakmont, which typically dispatches even highly skilled golfers with the briskness of a hitman who is double-parked. There were 434 rounds played in the last Open here in '16, and the only bogey-free one came Thursday from Dustin Johnson, who went on to win.
Scores that would be dismissed as mediocre most weeks are worthy of popping champagne corks here. 'That's up there, up there in the top ten of any rounds that I've played,' said Bob MacIntyre, who shot an even-par 70. 'It is just so hard -- honestly, every shot you're on a knife edge.'
Thomas Detry, another potential member of Europe's winning Ryder Cup squad in September, was almost giddy after a 69. 'I think I played some of the best golf that I've ever played,' he said.
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Names customarily found at the glamorous end of the leaderboard in professional golf's weekly circus could only be located after a significant scroll as round one wore on at Oakmont. Rory McIlroy was solid for a dozen holes but stumbled late to a 74. That tied him with some guys who have previously figured out the U.S. Open (Matt Fitzpatrick, Wyndham Clark, Lucas Glover) and one who hasn't (Phil Mickelson). Shane Lowry has been in good form this season and had the 54-hole lead here in '16, but will need to work to play more than 36 this time after a 79.
Bryson DeChambeau tried to bludgeon the course into submission, but tapped out with a 73. Cameron Smith was two worse, Patrick Cantlay three. As afternoon turned to evening, Johnson continued to play like a man who'd rather be fishing, Justin Thomas struggled to keep himself in shouting distance of the lead, and even world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was performing the alien task of recording bogies on his scorecard. Even the feel-good tale from final qualifying—the former Oakmont caddie turned Indiana dentist, Matt Vogt—was extracted without novocaine with an 82.
Only a handful of the aforementioned are really out of the reckoning at this Open. Johnson may have won at 4 under nine years back, but Angel Cabrera was 5 over the time before. Those who are a handful over par after round one might unknowingly be sitting on the winning score come day four (or five, if the weather turns as nasty as some fear). Schauffele dismissed that protectionist mindset after his opening 72. 'Not on Thursday, no. Way too soon,' he said.
But many of his peers will be thinking in those terms. Thursday brought finite disappointment for some, but it is only Thursday, it is a U.S. Open, and it is Oakmont. So there is hope that—if not exactly infinite—is far from extinguished.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Oakmont mugged some top stars in first round US Open but hope not lost