– J.J. Spaun (-4) is the first leader of the US Open 2025. A grand entrance leadership. He shot 66 without bogeys. Incredible. He matches the best first round in the history of the US Open at Oakmont, held by Andrew Landry since 2016. Interestingly, there is a connection between Spaun and Landry. They are similar players in age and career. Low profile. At least, until now. Spaun is 34 and Landry is already 37. Both achieved their first victory on the PGA Tour at the Valero Texas Open. Landry, however, has won twice compared to Spaun’s one, although this year he is on the Korn Ferry Tour. On the other hand, Spaun currently enjoys his best position in the world ranking (25th), while Landry’s highest was 64th. Let’s also remember that Spaun was already in the THE PLAYERS this year fighting for victory against Rory McIlroy. He fell in the playoff.
– J.J., whose full name is John Michael and is the son of an American father and a mother of Filipino-Mexican origin, has today signed the eighth bogey-free card in the history of the US Open at Oakmont. The eighth in ten editions. It sounds easy. Here is the current spotless club:
1953 Rd. 1 Ben Hogan (Won)
1973 Rd. 2 Gene Borek
1994 Rd. 1 Scott Verplank
1994 Rd. 3 Loren Roberts
1994 Rd. 2 John Cook
1994 Rd. 2 Wayne Levi
2016 Rd. 1 Dustin Johnson (Won)
2025 Rd. 1 J.J. Spaun
– In a way, it can be said that no one saw a round of this calibre coming, much less from a player like J.J. Spaun, but we would really be lying. Jon Rahm did predict it. Specifically, he told Josele yesterday, Wednesday: “The course is very difficult, the rough impossible, very tough conditions, so you’ll see how tomorrow someone shoots -4”. Just like that. He nailed it. It’s true that Jon didn’t say Spaun’s name, let’s not get carried away, but what he really meant was that any of those here at this US Open could do it. And so it has been. He also clarified later: “but come Sunday, the winning score will be around par”.
– Spaun achieved this historic round with the fundamental help of his putt. Yes, he hit many fairways, but above all, he was excellent on the greens. Check the numbers: he made four putts out of the five he attempted from three to six metres. Additionally, he holed nine out of eleven putts he had from one and a half to six metres. That’s impressive. He only missed two putts we could qualify as makeable, both for birdie, of course: on the 13th from just under three metres and on the 15th from four and a half metres. Lethal.
– Spaun has a one-shot lead over Thriston Lawrence (-3), a player who has lived up to his name this year with his performance on the PGA, although he is ready to turn things around in the majors. The South African made no less than six birdies. In his case, yes, he made some very good putts, but he also played the moderately accessible holes of Oakmont (4, 12, and 17) wonderfully. Lawrence is indeed a man with strong arms to get it out of the rough, a theory circulating at this US Open about the potential winner this week.
– A total of five players managed to beat the course in the morning when conditions were better. There was hardly any wind, and the greens were still somewhat receptive. Alongside Spaun and Lawrence, the heroes are Si Woo Kim (-2), Ben Griffin (-1), and Thomas Detry (-1). Yes, Ben Griffin is up there again, one of the most in-form golfers in the world these days.
– As for the big names, good starts from Adam Scott (PAR) and Robert MacIntyre (PAR). The Australian is playing his 96th consecutive major. Only Jack Nicklaus (146) has a better streak in history. The third is Tom Watson. Additionally, Brian Harman (+1) is up there, and Xander Schauffele (+2) managed to close a very good start despite it seeming like the round was slipping away. He finished with two great birdies on the 17th and 18th to present his candidacy. Bryson DeChambeau (+3) is not far off either, having played better than his score suggests. He lacked his usual brilliance on the greens.
– Someone who has already left quite a bit of ground, although he should not be ruled out by any means, is Rory McIlroy (+4). He started the day very well, going two under par, but from holes 1 to 9, he recorded a disastrous 41 strokes, with four bogeys and a double bogey. Shane Lowry (+9), who led by four strokes on Sunday in 2016, started with 79 strokes. He is +15 in his last two rounds at Oakmont.
