The U.S. Open, typically thought to be the ultimate test for professional golfers, saw record performances in the opening round on Thursday at Los Angeles Country Club. Rickie Fowler briefly set the tournament record for the lowest-scoring round in the 123rd edition and was followed up immediately by Xander Schauffele who tied the all-time mark.
Fowler’s 10-birdie 62 and Schauffele’s bogey-free card may have set the tone for the week as multiple golfers finished comfortably under par with favorable conditions Thursday morning in Los Angeles. The mark also tied Brandon Grace’s record for the lowest round in a major championship.
“Close to a dream start in a way,” Fowler, a California native, said after the round. “[I] wasn’t swinging great coming into the week and had some work to do Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Just did a good job of managing my way around.”
Fowler recently was at a low point in his career as the 34-year-old was unable to qualify for the Masters at Augusta National in April and missed the cut at the PGA Championship Oak Hill Country Club in May, but seemed to be turning a corner with his last two tournaments (Memorial Tournament and Charles Schwab Challenge) resulting in top 10 finishes.
When Schauffele tapped in for par on 18 to tie for the lead, the next closest player was Bryson DeChambeau who finished -3. Both Fowler and Schauffele have won PGA tour events in their careers, however, neither of the two has hoisted a major championship trophy. Schauffele, however, has finished within the top 10 in five of his six career U.S. Open starts and has been in contention in many of major championships during his career.
“I had pretty good flow throughout the round,” Schauffele said in his post-round interview. “I was looking at Rickie up on the board all day. Every time I made a birdie it just said I was still in second place. I felt like if he was doing it, why couldn’t I?
“Just need a little bit more patience [in major championship golf]. You got to think your way around the property and tough golf is fun.”
The tournament, however, is far from over as some of the marquee names at Los Angeles Country Club such as PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson had late afternoon tee times and will get their crack at the favorable conditions on the afternoon. The records could certainly be shattered or matched again before round one comes to a close.