In order to have a Hollywood ending, it helps to open with a splash. Round 1 of the 123rd U.S. Open on the North Course of The Los Angeles Country Club certainly didn’t disappoint in that regard. There were scoring records, holes-in-one, hole outs and as many twists and turns as Sunset Boulevard. The anticipation is high for what will unfold over the next three days of the first U.S. Open in Los Angeles since 1948.
Here are 10 Stats to Know from Round 1:
1. The highest score recorded by any player today was 79. It is the first time in U.S. Open history that no player shot 80 or higher in the opening round.
2. Rickie Fowler became the first player in U.S. Open history to record 10 birdies in a round. Justin Thomas made nine birdies and one eagle en route to a third-round 63 in 2017 at Erin Hills. Fowler surged to his early lead largely on the strength of his putting; through 12 holes, he had gained 7.397 strokes on the field in putting and finished at 4.77 strokes gained.
3. Xander Schauffele has finished among the top 15 in each of the last six U.S. Opens (T-5 at Erin Hills in 2017, T-6 at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, T-3 at Pebble Beach in 2019, 5th at Winged Foot in 2020, T-7 at Torrey Pines in 2021 and T-14 at The Country Club in 2022). It is the longest such streak at this championship since Lanny Wadkins had a similar six-year run from 1981-1986.
4. With his round of 64, Dustin Johnson tied Tiger Woods on the list of players who have shot the most rounds of 65 or better in major championship history, each doing it 10 times in their careers. Jack Nicklaus is next, with 9, followed by Rory McIlroy (8, including today).
5. Matthieu Pavon of France became the first player from his country to make a hole-in-one at a U.S. Open, doing so on the 124-yard 15th hole. He is the first player representing France to make a hole-in-one during any major championship since Thomas Levet made an ace in the final round of the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry.
6. Wyndham Clark and Dustin Johnson each shot 6-under 64. Had either of them finished with a 63, it would have led or co-led in every previous U.S. Open except 1980, when Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf each opened with 63s at Baltusrol.
7. Viktor Hovland was 3 over par after making a double bogey on the par-5 14th hole – his fifth hole of the day. He is just the third player over the last 10 years to bounce back from +3 or worse to finish under par during Round 1 of a U.S. Open. Edoardo Molinari did that in 2021 at Torrey Pines, as did John Pak in 2020 at Winged Foot.
8. The 520-yard, par-4 17th hole played as the most difficult on the course during the first round, with a scoring average of 4.53. However, the 254-yard, par-3 11th hole yielded the fewest birdies of the day, with four.
9. Amateur Omar Morales, who finished with a 1-over 71, was 3 under par through his first nine holes today. He is just the fifth amateur over the last 30 years to shoot three strokes under par over his first nine holes of a U.S. Open.
10. Two players ranked 500 or higher in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) are currently among the top 10 on the leader board (Paul Barjon, No. 537, T-7; and Jacob Solomon, No. 737, T-14). The last time that a pair of players ranked 500 or higher in the OWGR were among the top 10 at the end of any round at a U.S. Open was in 2012 at The Olympic Club.
Greg Midland is the USGA’s editorial director.
