OAKMONT, Pa. — J.J. Spaun set a blistering pace Thursday morning at the 125th U.S. Open, carding a record-breaking 4-under-par 31 on Oakmont Country Club’s back nine to take the early lead in golf’s toughest test.
Spaun, a 34-year-old American ranked 16th in FedExCup points, navigated the treacherous 7,372-yard, par-70 layout with precision, becoming the first player to shoot 31 or better over nine holes at Oakmont in U.S. Open history. His bogey-free start included birdies on the 10th, 12th, 16th, and 17th, highlighted by a chip-in from thick rough on the 10th and a drive to the green on the drivable par-4 17th, where he got up-and-down for birdie.
Oakmont, hosting its record 10th U.S. Open, lived up to its reputation as a beast. The Gil Hanse-renovated course, with its slick greens running at 14 on the Stimpmeter and 5-inch rough, punished errant shots. The front nine played 1.5 strokes over par, per early scoring averages, while Spaun’s back-nine mastery stood out against a field where only eight players were under par by midday.
Rory McIlroy, coming off a Masters win, started strong at 2-under through nine but faded to even par after a bogey on the par-3 sixth. Gary Woodland, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, reached 3-under early but dropped to 1-under after bogeys on the 12th and 13th. Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion, battled to level par, while Shane Lowry struggled to 6-over, salvaged partly by an eagle on the third.
Spaun’s ball-striking was elite, with a season-long Strokes Gained: Approach average of 0.761 (fifth on TOUR). He hit eight of nine greens in regulation, leaning on his 305-yard driving distance and deft short game. His par save on the par-3 eighth, two-putting from 50 feet, underscored his composure for J.J. Spaun.
“J.J.’s scheffling it out there,” Golf Monthly posted on X, referencing Scottie Scheffler’s steady play. Social media buzzed, with @usopengolf noting Spaun’s historic nine as “the best first nine in a U.S. Open at Oakmont. Ever.”
As morning conditions softened the course slightly, Spaun’s lead held firm at 4-under through 12 holes, two shots ahead of Woodland, Si Woo Kim, and Thomas Detry. With Oakmont’s teeth sharpening as greens firm up, Spaun’s early magic could set the tone for a grueling championship.
However, the course has started to shift quite a bit, as we are due for some chaos at Oakmont Country Club, with J.J. Spaun looking to hold the lead into Friday.
J.J. Spaun Makes History With U.S. Open First Round