News

US Open round one leaderboard

-4 Spaun (US); -3 Lawrence (SA); -2 SW Kim (Kor), Koepka (US), Im (Kor)

Selected: -1 Detry (Bel), Rahm (Spa), Neergaard-Petersen (Den); Level MacIntyre (Sco), Scott (Aus), Spieth (US); +1 Hovland (Nor); +2 Aberg (Swe), J Smith (Eng), Schauffele (US), Wallace (Eng), Rai (Eng); +3 DeChambeau (US), Scheffler (US), Hatton (Eng); +4 McIlroy (NI), Fleetwood (Eng), Fitzpatrick (Eng); +7 Rose (Eng); +9 Lowry (Ire)

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy – the world’s top two – found Oakmont Country Club a bruising challenge on a first day at the US Open when only 10 of the 156 players ended under par.

Masters champion McIlroy had started well and was two under after nine holes, but then unravelled with four bogeys and a double bogey as he posted a four-over 74.

Scheffler, who came into the third major of the year as overwhelming favourite on the back of winning three of his past four tournaments, is three over par after an uncharacteristically ragged round that featured five bogeys.

“I made some silly mistakes and I just need to be a little sharper,” said the American who won last month’s US PGA Championship to add to his two Masters victories.

Out in front on four under is JJ Spaun, who McIlroy beat in a play-off to win The Players Championship in March. The American had four birdies in his opening eight holes and his was the only bogey-free round despite the benign conditions.

He was briefly overhauled by Im Sung-jae, only for the South Korean to bogey three of his final seven holes and drop back.

South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence is one behind Spaun on the notoriously difficult Pennsylvania course, which is hosting a record-extending 10th US Open.

Brooks Koepka, the 2017 and 2018 champion, is alongside Im and Kim Si-woo at two under after birdieing his final two holes to post a 68.

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre was delighted with his level-par round of 70 as he ranked it “in the top 10 that I’ve played”.

Talking to BBC Sport, he added: “I’ve never played a golf course as hard. Every shot is on a knife edge.”

Former winners Jon Rahm, on one under, and Jordan Spieth, on level par, also impressed while defending champion Bryson DeChambeau described it as a “brutal test” after posting a three-over 73.

Also at three over is Patrick Reed, who made only the fourth albatross in US Open history when he holed his second shot, from 286 yards, at the par-five fourth to pick up three shots.

Sadly for the American, a triple-bogey seven at the last left him three over par for the tournament.

Last time the US Open was held here in 2016, only four players broke par and in 2007, the winning score by Angel Cabrera was at five over.

While not that brutal yet, this tournament does look like living up to its self-proclaimed billing as “the toughest test in golf”.

There were more than double the number of bogeys to birdies on day one and, with the course drying out, greens getting faster and the wind yet to bare its teeth, it should get harder.

The world’s top two won 2025’s first two majors but entered this in contrasting form – McIlroy having missed the cut spectacularly in Canada last week, while Scheffler has been imperious.

McIlroy, who missed the cut in 2016, initially looked good, with two birdies in his first three holes, including striking the longest drive of his season, 392 yards at the 12th (his third).

But Oakmont bit back on his second nine.

Driving the ball into the five-inch deep rough off the par-five fourth fairway, he needed three shots to escape and only a remarkable 30-foot putt limited the damage to a bogey.

Further shots went at his 15th and 16th holes before a first taste of the enormous par-three eighth – playing at 276 yards – cost him a double bogey.

Equally, last month’s US PGA Championship winner Scheffler was far from his metronomic best, turning at two over par and then bogeying 13 and 15 on the way home.

Winner in 2011, McIlroy has finished runner-up in the past two US Opens – in heartbreaking fashion last year after missing two short putts when leading in the closing stages – and has made the top 10 in the past six championships.

Beyond threatening the biggest win of his career at TPC Sawgrass in the PGA Tour’s flagship tournament earlier this year, world number 25 Spaun has three other top-10 finishes so far this season.

Starting with a 20-foot chip-in from out of the rough at the 10th tee, he excelled on the greens, making three clutch par putts from more than 10 feet to keep his card clean down the back nine.

“I’m trying to feel like I have nothing to lose,” said Spaun, whose best finish at a major is joint 23rd at the 2022 Masters.

“That was my mantra at the Players, so I’m going to roll with that again this week, and hopefully it’ll turn out more in my favour.”

Of the later starters, Oakmont initially appeared to have been tamed by Im, who raced to five under after 12 holes.

However, a miscued tee shot into the 110-yard long ‘Church Pews’ bunker at the fourth (his 13th) cost him a first dropped shot and an ugly three-putt at his next hole coughed up another.

A further bogey left him two off the lead and he ended on the same score as Koepka who looked close to his old unflappable self as he carded an eagle and two birdies.

Jordan Smith, who came through qualifying in May at Walton Heath, Surrey, put together a solid round although bogeys on his final two holes meant he posted a 72.

Fellow Englishmen Aaron Rai, Matt Wallace and Laurie Canter are also at that mark, alongside Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg who had a rocky finish with four bogeys in his closing five holes.

Tyrrell Hatton had two double bogeys in his 73 to sit one ahead of Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick who battled to four over, while 20-year-old amateur Tyler Weaver faded with three bogeys in his final four holes as he posted a creditable 75.

Fellow Englishman and 2013 champion Justin Rose closed with a double bogey in his 77.

The much-fancied Sepp Straka had a day to forget with no birdies, four bogeys and two double bogeys in his 78.