The flag – Old Glory – lay against the flagpole close to the regal Oakmont Country Club clubhouse, barely moving, with just the occasional fluttering to indicate the sort of pet day faced by those 156 players who set out in search of their own glory in this 125th US Open.
Yet, true to form, even with only a light breeze, the majority of players struggled to combat a course that asked one tough question after another from start-to-finish so that many players looked drained, physically and mentally, when their day’s work was done.
JJ Spaun was one of the exceptions.
Playing in just his second US Open, having missed the cut at Torrey Pines in 2021, Spaun – whose only PGA Tour win came in the Valero Texas Open three years ago – was immune from many of the vagaries of others as he posted a bogey-free 66, four-under-par, to assume the clubhouse lead, a shot clear of South African Thriston Lawrence.
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Spaun’s navigating off the course without dropping a shot put him into rare territory, just the eighth player ever – in this 10th staging of the US Open at Oakmont – to accomplish the feat. Back in 2016, only one player, Dustin Johnson, managed to do so ... and he went on to win.
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The 34-year-old Californian’s form headed into this Major had been consistent – four top-10s, including two runners-up finishes in The Players and the Cognizant Classic – and, it seemed, the tone for his day was set when he chipped-in for birdie on his first hole, the 10th.
For the most part, a round of four birdies and 14 pars was as steady as anyone could have hoped for: “I kind of came out here with no prior history at Oakmont, not really knowing what to expect even US. Open-wise. This is only my second one. I don’t know if that freed me up in any aspect, but I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me,” he explained.
Where many players departed their closing greens as if they’d been put through a wringer, Spaun stayed very much within himself. When in trouble, he managed to extricate himself. When birdies presented, he closed the deal.
“It’s challenging in every sort of aspect or variable in golf. Off the tee, you’ve got to get it in the fairway, otherwise you’re pretty much chipping out or trying to hack something out, unless you get a lucky lie. It’s just tough, and then you’re obviously going to have to grind when you’re out of position, and I did that really well,” said Spaun.
For his part, Thriston Lawrence’s recent return to the DP World Tour would appear to have brought new life to his game.
One of those who’d earned PGA Tour cards off the Race to Dubai rankings last year, Thriston’s time stateside had proven difficult with 10 missed cuts in 12 appearances before a recent move back to play the Soudal Open (tied-fourth) reinvigorated him, even if that schedule change was unplanned as he had failed to get a visa in time to play in last week’s Canadian Open so added the tournaments back in Europe instead.
“South Africans have to apply 400 days in advance, I had to apply before I got my card. Bit odd, that, because I don’t like missing events when I get opportunities, but that’s the unfortunate thing of having a South African passport,” he explained. Clearly, the disruption didn’t linger as he produced a strong first round 67 to move into early contention.
