The first day of the US Open proved to be an historic day in the golf calendar, with both Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele becoming the first players to shoot 62 in a US Open.
Along with the American duo, Rory McIlroy carded a 65 to sit just three off the lead, with an interesting leaderboard of PGA Tour and LIV Golf players once again taking place at the men’s third Major of the year.
Much of the pre-Masters talk surrounded how LIV golfers would get on in the four-round, 36-hole cut format, but any worries were quashed when Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson finished T2nd at Augusta. Koepka, the captain of Smash GC, then won the PGA Championship in May to lift his fifth Major title.
Koepka was highly fancied to be in contention again this week in LA but the 33-year-old struggled on Thursday, eventually posting a one-over-par 71. The two-time US Open winner was three-over after six but rallied back to play his final 12 holes in two-under.
He’s nine back of the leaders after day one and seven back of fellow LIV golfer Dustin Johsnon who leads the LIV leaderboard after day one.
DJ reached seven-under-par with his seventh birdie of the day on the 8th, his 17th, but he gave a shot away on the par 3 9th to finish with a six-under round of 64.
He’s only two back of the lead and three clear of the closest LIV challenger Bryson DeChambeau. The Crushers GC captain carded a three-under-par 67 that included six birdies and three bogeys.
Joaquin Niemann and David Puig are a stroke further back at two-under, with Phil Mickelson and Cameron Smith also under par at -1.
LIV GOLF LEADERBOARD AT THE US OPEN
- -6 Dustin Johnson
- -3 Bryson DeChambeau
- -2 Joaquin Niemann, David Puig, Sebastian Munoz
- -1 Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith
- E Abraham Ancer, Sergio Garcia
- +1 Thomas Pieters, Mito Pereira, Brooks Koepka
- +2 Patrick Reed
- +3 Martin Kaymer
- +6 Carlos Ortiz
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