US Open leaderboard http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/us-open/leaderboard.html
After an inch of rain fell on Pittsburg and the surrounding area overnight, the first round of this US Open got underway under clear skies in calm conditions right on time at 645am (est) off the first and 10th tees.
update ***** The news you need to know this morning is the rain has made the greens 2 feet slower today than they has been in practice, and with another deluge forecast for this afternoon, the pins have been moved to higher spots on the greens.
The rough has been cut for probably the last time, the fairways are soft and holding so I think some of the fire has been taken out of Oakmont and guys who have the early, late wave starts have a big advantage. There should be some 66's out there this morning.
Phil Mickelson is making his 26th US Open start today on this his 46th birthday, at least he is scheduled to, as he is in the late wave and more rain is forecast. After the lead story which is the golf course and how the rain will affect it, he is the other lead story as he tries to become only the 6th man to complete the career grand slam. He is paired with Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose at 2.09 off #10.
In the early wave Rory McIlroy Danny Willett and Rickie Fowler are off #1 at 8.24 and typical of our media here in North America, Danny who only finished 2nd to Rory in last year's Race to Dubai, then oh yes came over here, just after the birth of his first son, and won the Masters is being treated with absolute disdain, just like Nick Faldo after he won the 1996 Masters that Greg Norman lost, or Geoff Ogilvy after he won the 2006 US Open at Winged Foot, the one that Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie lost, or how about Micheal Campbell who was knighted in New Zealand for his US Open win at Pinehurst in 2005, the one that Tiger finished 2nd at.
He has been at the head of an unbelievable run of wins by English golfers around the world this year, he also won in Dubai back in February, Andrew Johnston won at Valderrama, Matt Fitzpatrick the Nordea Masters, and Chris Wood the BMW PGA and others, like former world #1's Luke Donald and Lee Westwoood have enjoyed a return to form and they are paired with Martin Kaymer at 8.13. Oh yes Kaymer won this tournament by 8 shots at Pinehurst in 2014.
There seems to be a storyline in there somewhere wouldn't you think... Not at all this week.
The traditional pairing of the US Open, US Amateur and Open Champion see's Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau and Zach Johnson are off #10 at 8.35 and I think this course is perfect for Johnson, with the emphasis on keeping the ball on the fairways.
The world #1 with 3 wins already this year including the Players Championship, Jason Day is paired with Louis Oosthuizen and Adam Scott off #1 at 2.20pm and they may not be able to get a full round in if the forecast is right.
Bryan Angus
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