US Open 2025: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Bry...

JJ Spaun upstaged the world’s finest by grabbing a one-shot lead after the opening day of the US Open, as Scottie Scheffler did not stay as much as his standing as pre-tournament favorite.

Spaun equalled the lowest-ever opening spherical for a US Open at Oakmont by carding 4 birdies in a four-under 66, together with his spectacular begin the one bogey-free spherical on a day the place simply 10 of the 156-man subject completed beneath par.

The American’s closest problem comes from Thriston Lawrence, who made six birdies in a three-under 67, whereas Scheffler, defending champion Bryson DeChambeau and world No 2 Rory McIlroy had been all amongst these to battle on the opening day.

Scheffler combined three birdies with six bogeys throughout a irritating opening-round 73, leaving him seven again in his bid for back-to-back main titles, with DeChambeau on the identical complete after three bogeys in his final seven holes.

McIlroy – looking to bounce back from last week’s missed cut at the RBC Canadian Open – was additionally unable to construct on a quick begin, having reached the flip in a bogey-free 33, as The Masters champion dropped 5 photographs within the final six holes of a four-over 74.

How Spaun grabbed major lead

Spaun chipped in from off the tenth inexperienced – his opening gap of the day – and took benefit of the par-five twelfth, with back-to-back birdies from the sixteenth lifting him to 4 beneath and high of the leaderboard.

The world No 25 holed from 11 ft to save lots of par on the first and scrambled brilliantly to shut out a blemish-free card, with Lawrence one again after recovering from a mid-round double-bogey to card three birdies on the again 9 of an opening-round 67.

“I used to be really fairly nervous,” admitted Spaun, who completed runner-up to McIlroy at The Gamers earlier this 12 months. “I really tried to harness that, the nerves, the anxiousness, as a result of it form of heightens my focus, makes me swing higher.

“I simply tried to form of take what the course gave me. I hit lots of good photographs and tried to capitalise on any birdie alternatives, which are not very many out right here. However I scrambled very well, too, which is a big part to taking part in nicely at a US Open, not to mention shoot a bogey-free spherical.”

Sungjae Im briefly moved to 5 beneath and the solo lead earlier than three late bogeys dropped him again to 2 beneath, alongside compatriot Si Woo Kim, with five-time main winner Brooks Koepka producing a birdie-birdie end to hitch the Korean pair in tied-third.

McIlroy and marquee names make slow starts at Oakmont

Scheffler – within the afternoon wave – despatched an ominous warning to the sphere when he picked up a shot on the par-four second, just for him to bogey three of his subsequent 4 holes and cancel out a birdie on the seventh with one other dropped shot on the ninth.

The three-time main champion drained a 20-footer on the eleventh however three-putted the thirteenth and missed from three ft to save lots of par on the fifteenth, with Scheffler’s irritating spherical seeing him match the full posted by DeChambeau earlier within the day.

DeChambeau had been beneath par till he three-putted the ninth and needed to gap from the perimeter, having taken three photographs out of the tough, to get away with a bogey on the par-five twelfth.

Final 12 months’s champion additionally registered successive bogeys from the fifteenth, dropping him again to 3 over, with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and former Masters champion Patrick Reed – who carded an albatross and triple-bogey in his spherical – additionally on the identical rating.

“Simply did not get something out of it,” DeChambeau mentioned. “I wasn’t totally on my recreation. Fairly dissatisfied with how I performed. It isn’t too far off. Simply received to get the placing slightly bit extra dialled and I will be proper there, as a result of three-over might have simply been two-under.”

McIlroy – additionally out early – made a dream begin when he adopted a 30-foot birdie on the eleventh by firing a 392-yard drive on his technique to one other on the par-five subsequent, though he sits eight again after carding 4 bogeys and a double-bogey in a second-nine 41.

Taking part in companions Justin Rose and Shane Lowry didn’t fare any higher, posting scores of 77 and 79 respectively, leaving loads of notable names needing to enhance on Friday to interrupt into the top-60 and ties required to make the reduce.

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