LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Open tried to fight back against record low scores with a North course at Los Angeles Country Club stretched to full length. Wyndham Clark and Rory McIlroy were among those who managed just fine Friday.
And then it was up to Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele to tackle the biggest defense on another otherwise vulnerable course — sunshine and a freshening breeze in the afternoon.
Clark, who last month broke through with his first PGA Tour title against an elite field, started strong with a bold flop shot and a monster birdie putt and then held on for a 3-under 67. Closing fast was McIlroy, without a major in nine years, overcoming a rugged start with four birdies on his last five holes for a 67.
Not to be overlooked was Dustin Johnson, the two-time major champion who made a quadruple-bogey 8 on his second hole with six bad shots, one penalty and a tap-in. The man with golf's shortest memory rebounded quickly and still shot 70, leaving him very much in the mix going into a weekend.
“I think there was maybe five or six tees that were put back, and then not only that, a lot of times they had a back tee, they had a back pin,” Clark said. “So it was playing pretty long.”
His two big moments came on the par-5 14th that played 605 yards with a front right pin tucked behind a massive bunker complex. Clark was all the way to the left in the sticky, gnarly collar of another bunker. He sent his shot skyward, over a corner of the stand to the tiny section of green and then made a 12-footer for birdie.
The other was on the 16th from 40 feet, a putt he misread in the practice round and got right with a scorecard in hand.
Clark was at 9-under 131, one shot short of the U.S. Open record set by Martin Kaymer at Pinehurst No. 2 in soft, still conditions.
What got Clark's attention as he finished were the shadows. The sun finally was starting to burst through the marine layer so typical of coastal cities in California in June, which likely would make the course faster and less forgiving of mistakes.
That's what Fowler and Schauffele faced in the afternoon after they set the U.S. Open record with 62s on the lowest opening round of scoring in U.S. Open history.
McIlroy didn't envision such low scoring, including his 65, which he attributed to cloud cover, condensation and receptive greens.
“The conditions now, it’s a little brighter, sunnier, a little bit of breeze. It’s got the potential to get a little firmer and faster over the next couple days, which will make the scores go up a little bit,” McIlroy said. "We'll see what it's like at the end of the week.
“Yes, the course has played maybe a little easier than everyone thought it would, but wouldn’t be surprised on Saturday, Sunday to see it bite back,” McIlroy said. “It should be tough. It should be just as much of a mental grind out there as a physical one.”
McIlroy had his share of mistakes on the back nine with errant shots off the tee, including the 297-yard 11th hole, the second-longest for a U.S. Open.
But he had a 30 on the front nine for the second straight day by taking advantage of the scoring holes and ending his round with a tee shot on the par-3 ninth to 3 feet.
Harris English also shot 30 on the front nine to finish off his 66, leaving him at 7-under 133.
“They can get them as firm and fast as they want and put those pins in some tough spots. It’s going to be fun,” English said. “The rough is still going to be penal. I think everybody is going to get the U.S. Open they’ve been wanting to see.”
Johnson saw plenty of it without sunshine or wind. He pulled his tee shot on the second hole into a bunker, only advanced that 95 yards into thick rough, hit the next one into the barranca, took a penalty drop, went over the green and walked off with the craziest of 8s.
The best shot of his round?
“Probably the tee shot on 3 — hitting a good shot and just getting settled back down after making an 8,” he said. “Definitely wasn’t too thrilled with myself walking off that green.”
He was at 6-under 134 with Min Woo Lee, whose 65 has been the low score of the day.
PGA champion Brooks Koepka had a 69 that at least got him to the weekend, right in the middle of the pack on a course that he would not rate among this favorite because of the blind shots off the tee.
“I'm not a huge fan of this place,” he said.
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