US Open first round – Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry get underway at Oakmont
Irish hopefuls Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have been paired together for the first two rounds as McIlroy seeks to add a sixth major to his tally, while Offaly native Lowry bids to bridge a six-year gap to his one and only major win so far, the 2019 Open Championship.
Follow all the action as it happens here.
US Open Leaderboard - Day 1:
J.J. Spaun -4 (thru 10)
Gary Woodland -3 (thru 7)
Rory McIlroy -2 (thru 8)
Wyndham Clark -2 (thru 7)
Si Woo Kim -2 (thru 7)
Niklas Norgaard -2 (thru 5)
Ludvig Aberg -2 (thru 9)
Adam Scott -2 (thru 9)
Justin Rose +3 (thru 8)
Shane Lowry +3 (thru 8)
7 minutes ago
Ooof! Not ideal for McIlroy and Lowry on the 17th as both men tee off into the long, dense rough.
Lowry somehow manages to out-do McIlroy's second shot which landed with a thud in the bunker. The Offaly man's approach remains in the rough. The long grass continues to punish golfers today. Nightmare!
Australia's Adam Scott and Swede Ludvig Aberg wrap up on their first nine holes with birdies on the 18th hole. The duo lie just two strokes behind leader Spaun (-4).
12 minutes ago
WATCH: Bryson DeChambeau into the red figures for the first time today with birdie on the 7th
U.S. Open on Twitter / X
Red shirt. Red figures.@brysondech with perfect distance control to set up another birdie. pic.twitter.com/QbTKjfJRzU— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
16 minutes ago
McIlroy saves par, Lowry suffers on the 16th
The County Down man found himself positioned on the back of the green. The was aggressive with his first putt which carried through by around 5-feet. He cleans up well for par.
Oh no... Disaster for Lowry who double bogeys it. The same green throws up all kinds of problems for the Offaly native. He caught bunker to start, followed through to the other side of the green with his next approach and required three more attempts from there.
Justin Rose also lands himself in hot water with his third bogey on the bounce. Oakmond is wreaking havoc already!
34 minutes ago
Spaun shifts two clear as McIlroy and Lowry find par
Los Angeles native J.J. Spaun shifts into a two-stroke lead with a birdie on the 17th - his eighth hole of the day.
McIlroy's chip shot leaves him with around 6-foot to the pin. He reads the green perfectly once again and saves par after a difficult tee shot. Lowry chipped in too and almost drained it. His putt for par catches the right lip of the hole and falls in. Phew!
Elsewhere, 2019 winner Gary Woodland nails his third birdie inside five holes to sneak in a shot behind leader Spaun.
U.S. Open on Twitter / X
Rolling the rock (chalk jayhawk)!Our 2019 champion Gary Woodland is now solo 2nd after his third birdie in the first five holes. pic.twitter.com/4f6osOl9zj— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
40 minutes ago
WATCH: DeChambeau drains his first birdie of the day on the par-four 5th
U.S. Open on Twitter / X
Bryson back to where he started.Our defending champion with his first 🐥 of the morning. pic.twitter.com/oaFThegN1o— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
42 minutes ago
Not the best start on the par-4 fifteenth for McIlroy - his tee shot fizzes into the long, lush rough. With his second, he shovels it out onto the fairway.
Lowry fares far better with a beautiful drive off the tee that races down the fairway. Straight as a dye! Brilliant.
46 minutes ago
Pars all round for the Irish duo
Yep, McIlroy draws his first putt in close to the hole - it was a long range effort - which he tapped in with his second attempt. Lowry, who fared better than his friend on the 14th, cut his 12-foot putt down to a 2-footer before sinking it.
I think the Clara native wanted more there, but the wait goes on for his first birdie of the day.
51 minutes ago
Spaun shifts into the outright lead
J.J. Spaun tops the leaderboard on his own thanks to a third birdie of his round on the 16th - his seventh hole of the day. Spaun's fantastic tee shot takes him within eight feet, and the birdie putt drops.
U.S. Open on Twitter / X
For the solo lead! 🙌J.J. Spaun made this uphill birdie putt and is the first to get to 3 under. pic.twitter.com/bItFlGNbye— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
58 minutes ago
A nice approach from Lowry who leaves himself with a 12-footer for birdie. McIlroy, who chipped onto the green from the bunker, presents himself with a long range putt for birdie. If he can hole it in two here, you would imagine he will be content.
Today 09:03 AM
A bit of a mixed bag for the Irish to start the 14th - Lowry finds the fairway with his drive that leaves him 114-yards from the pin. McIlroy unfortunately finds sand from the tee shot, but recovers well to get it up and out of the bunker and onto the green.
Today 09:00 AM
Evens for McIlroy and Lowry on the 13th-Hole
The par-3 thirteenth will undoubtedly prick up the ears of McIlroy as he eyes up another birdie. A seven iron shot from the tee takes him to the green with ease. He comes within inches of surging into the outright lead. Nothing in it. He's forced to settle for par in the end.
Justin Rose repeats the dose and breaks even. Lowry up next on the green who also makes par. On to the par-4 fourteenth!
Today 08:54 AM
A couple other names on the rise up the leaderboard...
Adam Scott has made his way through his first five holes and drained a birdie on the 14th to drag himself to within a shot of the co-leaders.
The 2023 US Open winner Wyndham Clark also birdies from 7-feet on the third to come into picture in the rear view mirror.
Today 08:48 AM
Rory shifts into a joint-lead, bogey for Lowry
Wow. The County Down man absolutely shredded that 618-yard twelfth! Yes, the challenging eagle putt passed him by from 50-feet, but he keeps his cool to drain it for birdie. That monster drive off the tee box set it up nicely.
The same can't be said for Lowry who picks up a bogey after a torrid time on the twelfth - rough from the tee, bunker from the second, short on the third out of the sand. He casts his gaze to the heavens after plucking his ball out of the hole.
U.S. Open on Twitter / X
NEW CO-LEADER! @McIlroyRory pays off his monstrous drive on 12 with a birdie. pic.twitter.com/dXHEK23mir— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
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Today 08:42 AM
Defending champion Bryce DeChambeau is really having a tough time thus far. A bogey on the par-4 first was followed by par on the second. He is making his way around the par-4 third at the minute but has landed himself in bunker bother.
Today 08:37 AM
McIlroy opts for the six iron for his approach shot which he whittles down by another 227-yards that initially landed around 10 feet from the pin, but carried through down the green's slope.
A nightmare for Lowry with his second shot as he lands himself in the sand. He lets off steam with his third as his escape comes up well short of the green. He will really have to roll his sleeves up here to save par.
Today 08:25 AM
Onto his first par-5 hole of the day and McIlory opts for the driver from the 13th tee box. "Nice..." says the Holywood man with a smile etched across his face. He loves the look of that - an absolute missile right down the fairway. A cool 394-yards chalked off the 618-yard total.
Shane Lowry emulates his good pal with a similar 362-yard drive that finds a good lie.
U.S. Open on Twitter / X
That one nearly made it to the crosswalk! 💪A 392-yard blast with a turbo kick for Rory on 12. pic.twitter.com/8BUM3Vreww— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
Today 08:23 AM
Elsewhere, J.J. Spaun surges into the outright lead on -2 after Ludvig Aberg stumbles on the par-5 twelfth hole - the Swede drops a shot and has to scramble for bogey. Tommy Fleetwood isn't having a great time either with a pair of bogeys on his opening two holes.
Today 08:17 AM
Birdie for McIlroy, chance passes Lowry by
Sensational from the County Down native! He may have passed up on the chance on the tenth, but no mistake on the 11th green. He reads the sloping terrain perfectly sinks a 20-footer.
Lowry goes for birdie from a similar range but he slides it past the pin. We'll wait and see if he can save face with par.
Sky Sports Golf on Twitter / X
First birdie of the day for McIlroy ✅ pic.twitter.com/71ZQKxYRDz— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 12, 2025
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