Fog clears to reveal usual cast of Open suspects
Once the fog finally lifted over Torrey Pines, a familiar figure in the US Open was plain to see.
A long opening round ended in darkness with Russell Henley in the lead and Louis Oosthuizen poised to join him when the fog-delayed opening round wrapped this morning (NZ time). There were a few surprises, typical of the start at most majors. And there was Brooks Koepka. In the US Open, there is always Brooks Koepka. “Not the best,” he said. “But I’ll definitely take it.”
With a simple plan and solid execution for most any US Open course, Koepka shot 2-under 69 to extend his incredible record. It was his sixth consecutive round in the 60s at the major with a reputation for being golf’s toughest test.
Dating to the final round at Oakmont, 11 of his last 14 rounds have been in the 60s in the Open.
“I’ve just got a good game plan, focused, I know what I’m doing, and I don’t try to do anything I can’t,” Koepka said. “It’s just all about discipline in a US Open. That’s I guess the gist of it.”
Oosthuizen was among 36 players who failed to finish because of the 90-minute fog delay at the start. Oosthuizen, a runner-up at the PGA Championship last month at Kiawah Island, was at 4-under and had two holes remaining.
The course was as tough as advertised. The wind was a little more than expected, and it doesn’t take much to add to the challenge.
“If it’s blowing like this the whole week, it’s just going to be a hard week. That’s kind of what you want in a US Open, though, right?” Henley said.
He had a one-shot lead over Francesco Molinari and Rafa Cabrera Bello among those who finished.
Koepka, with two wins and a silver medal in his last three US Opens, was joined at 69 by the likes of Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Jon Rahm, San Diego native Xander Schauffele and Hayden Buckley, who plays the Korn Ferry Tour and made his major championship debut.
Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau pounded driver and did plenty of gouging from the rough, though Torrey Pines doesn’t seem quite as suitable for the style he so beautifully executed at Winged Foot last September in a six-shot victory. He salvaged a 73.
PGA champion Phil Mickelson, who turned 51 on Wednesday, shot a 75. That’s not the start he hoped for in his bid to finally get a US Open title for the career Grand Slam. What bothered him were two soft bogeys towards the end of his round.
“I just didn’t make enough birdies to offset it,” Mickelson said.
Rory McIlroy birdied his final hole in near darkness for a 70, a good sign for a player who has fallen behind too far in too many first rounds at majors.