Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson scorch Chambers Bay to lead U.S. Open at 5-under
Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson each shot a 5-under 65 on Thursday and hold a 1-stroke lead after the first round of the 115th U.S. Open.
Johnson and Stenson put on a show during the opening round after Chambers Bay was expected to impose its will on the field. Their low rounds seemed out of place at the notoriously punishing U.S. Open, but local player and Open qualifier Michael Putnam called the course "about as easy as it can play."
The course wasn't easy for everyone, as Tiger Woods carded his worst career round at the U.S. Open, shooting a 10-over 80. The 14-time major winner will look to rebound on Friday in order to play the weekend.
The leaderboard is full of big names, with Patrick Reed, alone in second place and Matt Kuchar sitting two shots back at 3-under. Three of the world's best players are within striking distance, as Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, and Jason Dufner are all lurking at 2-under.
Relative newcomer Ben Martin fired a 67 on the day and low amateur Brian Campbell ended his round at 3-under, after getting it to 4-under through 15 holes.
Leaderboard
| Pos. | Player | To Par | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Henrik Stenson | -5 | 65 |
| T1 | Dustin Johnson | -5 | 65 |
| 3 | Patrick Reed | -4 | 66 |
| T4 | Matt Kuchar | -3 | 67 |
| T4 | Ben Martin | -3 | 67 |
| T4 | Brian Campbell (a) | -3 | 67 |
| T7 | Cody Gribble | -2 | 68 |
| T7 | Francesco Molinari | -2 | 68 |
| T7 | Jason Dufner | -2 | 68 |
| T7 | Marc Warren | -2 | 68 |
| T7 | Joost Luiten | -2 | 68 |
| T7 | Jordan Spieth | -2 | 68 |
| T7 | Jason Day | -2 | 68 |
| T14 | Phil Mickelson | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Kevin Chappell | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Brian Harman | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Brandt Snedeker | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Miguel Angel Jimenez | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Colin Montgomerie | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Geoff Ogilvy | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Charlie Beljan | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Tony Finau | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Ollie Schniederjans (a) | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Branden Grace | -1 | 69 |
| T14 | Shane Lowry | -1 | 69 |
Notables
Phil Mickelson: The story early on was Phil's hot start after he opened the tournament with a 3-under front nine. On the back nine, Phil was erratic and missed several opportunities to preserve his early lead. He finished at 1-under and is in the mix heading into the second round. "I'm under par at the U.S. Open, so I'm pretty pleased." Mickleson said following his round.
Bubba Watson: A frustrating, yet suprisingly well scored round for Watson after several moments where it appeared he had lost his cool. He shouted on 18 after a disappointing shot and also whiffed trying to get out of a green side bunker.
Martin Kaymer: The defending champ had a colorful scorecard, posting both a double bogey and eagle on the round. Rebounding after the double, Kaymer was able to card a birdie down the stretch to stay within striking distance at 2-over.
Rory McIlroy: The World No. 1 also carded a 2-over 72, failing to get it going at any point on the day. In trouble from start to finish, McIlroy will need to put together a round in the sixties on Friday if he wants to be in contention this weekend.
Rickie Fowler: The 2015 Players Championship winner struggled all day, ending up at 11-over. Fowler double bogeyed three of his final four holes to finish at 81, one shot worse than Tiger Woods and fodder for Woods' press conference.
Tweet/Quote of the Day
"Bright side is I kicked Rickie's butt today" - Tiger Woods on his first round. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/07AkwHxBHx
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2015
Shot of the Round
Dustin Johnson hit an incredible shot out of the greenside fescue on the 18th hole. The ball took several twists and turns before finally coming to rest nicely on the green.