The first spherical of the US Open at Oakmont was an absolute grind.
Most of the world’s finest gamers struggled as J.J. Spaun led the best way with a bogey free four-under par spherical of 66 in brutal situations with very thick tough and lightning-fast, sloping greens.
Solely ten gamers out of the 156 who teed it up managed to shoot higher than par.
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Rory McIlroy was not considered one of them as he as soon as once more snubbed the media following a disappointing spherical.
Jon Rahm was a kind of ten nonetheless as he seems properly positioned for a shot at a second US Open crown.
The course as properly prompted loads of debate, whether or not or not such a testing arrange is nice for the sport.
Listed below are the largest speaking factors for spherical one of many US Open.
LEADERBOARD: All of the scores from Spherical 1 of the US Open
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‘TOO SPOILED? TOO ENTITLED?’: RORY’S MEDIA SNUB
For the fifth straight spherical at a serious championship, a disgruntled Rory McIlroy refused media requests.
The Masters champion blanked the press pack on the PGA Championship earlier than breaking his silence forward of lacking the lower on the Canadian Open final week.
He revealed that he was angered by journalists reporting that his driver was deemed to be non-conforming two days out from the primary spherical at Quail Hole.
The identical factor occurred to PGA champion Scottie Scheffler and it went unreported till it was raised on the earth No.1’s victory press convention, however the driver change didn’t section Scheffler prefer it did McIlroy.
The world No.2 proceeded to spray his new massive stick left and proper as he scraped into the lower and completed tied forty seventh.
McIlroy was much better together with his driver at Oakmont on Thursday, rating nineteenth for strokes gained off tee (+1.66) regardless of solely hitting seven of 14 fairways upon his return to the identical specs on his TaylorMade that he received at Augusta with.
However his spherical general was a disappointment, taking 41 photographs on the entrance 9, his second 9 to complete +4 after being two-under by 9 holes.
Clearly livid with himself, McIlroy walked proper previous the gathered journalists and into the clubhouse.
“He’s obtained one thing happening with the media. I’m not fairly certain what it’s,” McIlroy’s former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley mentioned on Dwell from the US Open.
“That is arguably the very best man the sport has seen within the final decade with the media, and swiftly, he’s turned again towards it and isn’t doing something.
“There’s one thing happening there.”
McGinley continued: “I actually really feel for the product of golf, golf is competing towards different sports activities not simply inside its personal surroundings, it’s worthwhile to have your high gamers making remark, good, unhealthy or detached.
“It’s an vital a part of the product of golf.
“A great instance for me on the significance of interviews, why interviews matter, was the tennis remaining in France a few days in the past.
“Arguably the best tennis match ever performed, to lose that recreation, should have been devastating for (Jannik) Sinner and he went out and made a speech.
“The folks will keep in mind that speech in loss, greater than they are going to (Carlos) Alcaraz successful.
“That’s the significance of it as a result of there’s emotion hooked up to anyone.
“Everybody might be nice on an excellent day.
“If you’re not an excellent day, to have the ability to clarify it and present humility like Sinner did, it attracts extra folks in.”
McGinley pushed his view that golfers mustn’t get a selection in whether or not the entrance the media or not.
The Irishman implored event officers to mandate the gamers converse to be able to join with the followers.
“This isn’t a success on Rory. This can be a hit on all people,” McGinley mentioned.
“I believe the error lies not a lot with Rory or (Collin) Morikawa (who has refused interviews previously) or anyone else who doesn’t do it.
“The error lies with golf. Why isn’t golf mandating these guys to do it?
“They’re taking part in for ridiculously excessive prize funds week on week on week.
“They’ve obtained to offer a bit of again.
“Good, unhealthy or detached it must be mandated to say ‘guys, we want you to do that for the nice of the sport’.”
Fellow panellist on Dwell from the US Open and former skilled Brandel Chamblee then weighed in, citing that viewership numbers dropped final 12 months off the again of sports activities followers tiring of the cash debate dominating golf.
“Tiger doesn’t play a lot, so Rory is the preferred participant on the earth,” he mentioned.
“If he’s turning his again on the world that’s fascinated with him, it runs the danger of 1, setting a precedent that different gamers will really feel empowered to try this.
“It sends a message to the viewers like are these guys getting too spoiled? Too entitled?”
Bryson’s complicated gap 4 interplay | 01:17
‘MADE A STATEMENT TODAY’: RAHM IN THE HUNT
Three photographs behind chief J.J. Spaun is Jon Rahm.
The LIV star had underwhelmed within the majors since crossing to the breakaway league in late 2023, however despatched a reminder to his rivals as he was within the hunt late within the piece on Sunday on the PGA Championship.
The Spaniard fell away in the long run throughout Quail Hole’s notorious ‘Inexperienced Mile’, however the general positives from that return to rivalry carried into the opening spherical at Oakmont.
Rahm’s one-under par spherical of 69 was historic as he placed on an absolute stripe present to rank first in strokes gained off the tee.
“I let you know, Rahm made a press release right this moment with that driver,” Brandel Chamblee mentioned.
“He’s all the time been a terrific driver however this was the one finest day he’s ever had with the driving force.
“You don’t see this fairly often however he picked up strokes on the sector with each single tee shot he hit.
“He picked up nearly three and a half photographs on the sector, simply off the tee.
“He did it with simply blitz drives, proper down the center, 340-350 yards.”
Regardless of how spectacular he was with the massive stick, Paul McGinley believed Rahm left a number of photographs on the market as he ranked 107th for strokes gained placing.
“I believe he’s obtained a degree to show,” McGinley mentioned.
“The golf he performed right this moment, I assumed was implausible.
“What did he shoot? 69? I believe he left three or 4 photographs on the market.
“He ought to have been in a greater rating right this moment.
“If he putted a bit higher, he would have been main this event.”
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‘MAKE YOU CRY A LITTLE BIT’: BRUTAL OAKMONT DEBATE
Oakmont confirmed its tooth within the opening spherical, notably within the afternoon, as solely ten gamers managed to shoot under-par rounds.
The lead-up was suffering from gamers discussing how laborious the golf course is, and having enjoyable with predictions about how a lot an 18-handicapper would shoot given the extremely thick tough and lightning-fast greens.
The primary spherical was a grind principally all the 156 participant discipline as followers routinely watched the world’s finest hack their means out of, or chunk chips in, nearly knee deep tough.
Paul McGinley queried whether or not the USGA’s course arrange that wishes to see the gamers wrestle was actually the very best factor for the US Open.
“Why does the tough must be the identical size on all 18 holes?” McGinley posed.
“Why not decide your battles?
“Why not on the lengthy par 4s, have it fairly brief?
“However once you come to a gap just like the second this week, I believe it is a implausible strategic gap as a result of the tough is so excessive.
“It’s a nothing gap by way of yardage, however you’ve three distinct areas the place you may have low danger, excessive danger or medium danger after which your second shot goes to be brief, lengthy or medium relying on that.
“However if you happen to miss the golf green, you pay a extremely massive worth and also you’re struggling for par on a extremely brief gap.
“Whereas on an even bigger gap that’s 400-500 yards lengthy, give the gamers a bit extra leeway and a bit much less tough.”
Scheffler: US Open hardest course ever | 00:42
Brandel Chamblee was a robust supporter of the thick tough, saying instances have modified with the ability of the fashionable gamers.
“In the event you actually do wish to check these guys as a result of they hit it to date and so they get in there with brief irons – the tough that prompted gamers grief within the ‘70s and ‘80s doesn’t trigger these gamers grief, it simply doesn’t – it’s obtained be thicker, it’s obtained be meaner,” Chamblee mentioned.
“How do you check the very best gamers on the earth? To get agency and quick, you want a sandy base.
He added: “The US Open needs to be like an excellent nation tune and make you cry a bit of bit.
“It’s been a bit like Mardi Gras the final couple of years, everybody going ‘whoop, whoop’ let’s have some enjoyable and hit a 40-yard slice on 18 coming down the stretch at LA Nation Membership and nonetheless hit the golf green.
“If you wish to check the very best gamers on the earth, these large corridors don’t actually work.”