Spaun tames Oakmont, starts U.S. Open with 66

OAKMONT, Pa. -- Sometimes it helps not knowing what could spell wrong.

Having ne'er played astatine Oakmont Country Club successful a competitory circular before, J.J. Spaun proceeded Thursday to illustration his mode astir 1 of the toughest U.S Open tests successful conscionable 66 strokes.

"I benignant of came retired present with nary anterior past astatine Oakmont, not truly knowing what to expect, adjacent U.S. Open-wise. This is lone my 2nd one," Spaun said. "I don't cognize if that freed maine up successful immoderate aspect, but I conscionable tried to benignant of instrumentality what the people gave me."

Spaun's circular of 4-under par featured nary bogeys, making the archetypal clip that immoderate subordinate has carded a bogey-free circular astatine Oakmont since Dustin Johnson's archetypal circular successful 2016. Johnson, of course, went connected to triumph his archetypal large title and finished the tourney astatine 5-under.

Over his 18 holes successful Thursday's opening round, Spaun deed 8 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens successful regulation. But wherever astir of his scoring came connected his archetypal 9 (he teed disconnected connected the 10th hole) with 4 birdies successful his archetypal 8 holes for a grounds people of 31, what helium did connected his 2nd 9 was possibly much impressive, arsenic helium scrambled for par and ne'er had a three-putt connected Oakmont's treacherous greens.

"It's challenging successful each benignant of facet oregon adaptable successful golf," Spaun said of Oakmont. "You're evidently going to person to grind erstwhile you're retired of position, and I did that truly good today."

Spaun's putter was incandescent during the archetypal round. The 34-year-old made 90 feet of putts and gained astir 4 strokes connected the tract with his putter alone.

"I deliberation contiguous was 1 of my champion putting days I've had possibly each year, particularly wrong similar the makeable scope putts, wrong 12 feet oregon so," Spaun said. "I similar converting those putts, due to the fact that that's immense for momentum and keeping a circular going, and that's benignant of what happens present astatine U.S. Opens."

The past clip Spaun, who is ranked 25th successful the world, was successful the spotlight was 3 months agone astatine the Players Championship, wherever helium went toe-to-toe with Rory McIlroy successful a three-hole Monday playoff but could not instrumentality down the five-time large winner.

With 5 top-15 finishes this season, Spaun has been playing good overall, but helium is coming disconnected a missed chopped astatine the Memorial. It's harmless to accidental nary 1 expected him to stitch unneurotic a circular similar the 1 helium did Thursday.

"I was really beauteous nervous. But I really tried to harness that, the nerves, the anxiety, due to the fact that it benignant of heightens my focus, makes maine plaything better," Spaun said. "I similar feeling uncomfortable. I ended up feeling beauteous comfy towards the extremity of the day, but there's a agelong mode to go."

Even being successful contention astatine a Players is thing similar what Spaun volition acquisition present that he's enactment himself successful premier presumption astatine a large title connected a play people that volition lone get harder and the unit volition lone grow.

Both helium and his competitors cognize it.

"It's Thursday," Xander Schauffele, who birdied the past 2 holes to sprout 2-over, said. "I conscionable told J.J., 'Incredible round, bully playing. Good luck the remainder of the way.'"