Oakmont, PA.-Riding a warm start by a chip-in Birdi on its early hole, JJ Spon set an early speed at the US Open with 4-under-park 66 at the Omont Country Club on Thursday.
Spon in-in round on involved nine and bird no. For 4-under 31 on 10, 12, 16 and 17, for the first nine holes of a championship for the US Open Omont Record. He kept stable with all the pars on the front nine.
“It sets the tone in such a way how the day was about to go,” Spon said. “You are not really expecting to chip it. You are just trying to distance yourself for equal. It was really good to predict lies, really hits the shot how you want, and it comes out in a way, and it is just blooming towards the hole and it was a good wake-up call that was in 7:10 in the morning or whatever was in the morning.”
It marked only the eighth bogie-free round in Omont in the US Open History and tied Andrew Landry in 2016 for the lowest US Open First Round score here.
As ET at 1:45 am, Spon was two shots ahead of C Wu Kim of South Korea, Thomas of Belgium and South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, each of whom was completing his round.
The 34 -year -old Spown, has never ended within the top 20 of a major. He has a title at PGA Tour (Valero Texas Open, 2022) and lost a playoff for Rory McClayo at the Players Championships in March.
The native of Los Angeles recalled green in the cross -4 10th hole, but fully prepared his chip from 5 inches of Omont. He gave a tap-in on par-5 number 12, 5-foot a cani on par-3 number 16 and 11 1/2-footer on number 17 a par-4 hole.
And he managed to make it through the toughest holes in the difficult Omont course.
On Par-5 fourth, Spon’s Drive Omont’s famous “Church Peuz” descended into the bunker, but she punched out, reached the green in three and to save equal, in 56 1/2 feet to two-two-two-two parts to save equal.
“This was truly on the church Pew’s wall, and I had to kneel my left leg almost, down in the bunker,” he said. “It was a good lie and I knew that if I contacted any club, it would be great. I played a little baseball, T ball, which helps.”
Mcilroy, began on the back nine, birds on Thursday for the initial part of the lead before coming separately. After pile up four bogies, they needed two attempts to get out of the rough on the long para -3 eighth and made a double bogie n route on 4 -over 74.
Northern Ireland Masters champions RBC were using an old model of a tellermade driver after struggling with a new model at Canadian Open. Mcilroy ruled a driver during the PGA Championships as non-influential, which was due to the original switch.
Xander Schaffele birds its last two holes for 2-over 72 cards. Defending champion Bryson Decombo opened with 3-over 73.
The afternoon wave began at 12:30 pm and many notable names were just starting their round, including Scotty Sheffoler, Brox Koipka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spith, Colin Moricawa, Spaniad John Rahm, Victor Hoveland of Norway and winners in 2016.
-Adam Zillonka, Field Level Media
