Spaun Steps Into the Spotlight at Oakmont
Bogey-free brilliance puts J.J. Spaun atop the U.S. Open leaderboard after day one
Seoul, Korea - Veteran pro J.J. Spaun delivered a flawless 4-under-par 66 on a sunlit Thursday at Oakmont Country Club, seizing the solo lead after round one of the U.S. Open.
Spaun, 34, notched his first-ever bogey-free round in a major and matched Oakmont’s lowest opening-round score in U.S. Open history. It was also his career-low round in any major, bettering his previous best by a shot.
“This one felt special,” Spaun said. “I’ve been waiting to prove I can play this well on the biggest stage. Today was that day.” His controlled ball striking and calm demeanour kept the course at bay, unlike most of the field. Despite six previous attempts, he’s yet to convert a first-round lead into a win on TOUR.
Spaun’s 66 edged out South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, who shot 67 for his best 18-hole position in any PGA TOUR start. Lawrence, a four-time DP World Tour winner, is seeking his maiden U.S. triumph after years of steady progression.
The chasing pack includes Korea’s Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im, both carding 68s. They share third place with two-time champion Brooks Koepka, who eagles the 4th en route to a clinical, if not spectacular, round. “Major golf requires patience,” Koepka said. “You take your chances when they come. That eagle helped.”
With calm weather, Oakmont was playable—though still unforgiving. Big names stumbled: World No.1 Scottie Scheffler signed for a 73, while Rory McIlroy faded to a 74 after a promising start.
The last Korean to win a major was Y.E. Yang in 2009. Both Kim and Im have a shot at rewriting history. Meanwhile, Patrick Reed made just the fourth albatross in U.S. Open lore—a sparkling 2 at the 4th—but finished with a 73.
With three days to play, Spaun leads, but Oakmont rarely yields without a fight.