Overnight rain softens Oakmont for US Open start

The weather foiled him again.

The delay might be good for him as he can regroup and try to get his focus back for his final seven holes.

In a mid-round interview, the 28-year-old Texan was asked if he could match or better Johnny Miller’s record-low round of 63 in a major.

Some big names were able to take advantage of the conditions that made Oakmont’s notoriously fast greens softer and more receptive than usual – with Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood among the most notable early chargers. He was at 2-under par. The second delay lasted 2 hours, 26 minutes. “I’ve got four tough holes coming up, it will be hard to make a couple of birdies but you never know”.

It’s going to be that insane for almost everybody at “Soakmont”, the moniker resurrected on Thursday by the club’s legendary longtime head pro Bob Ford.

Australian Aron Price, competing in his second U.S. Open, carded the first birdie of the week after setting off in the first group of the day under clear skies.

“These greens are way more hard to putt than Augusta’s because where the hole locations are, they’re pitched twice as much and the green speeds are comparable”.

Play was then suspended shortly after 10am local time due to the threat of lightning, with Westwood and playing partners Luke Donald and Martin Kaymer on the 16th green.

“Not taking anything away from Johnny”, Ford was quick to add on the Fox broadcast.

If he gets down in two from 10 feet on Friday morning, he’ll somehow surpass that.

Compatriots Andy Sullivan and Lee Slattery were on the other side of the draw and after shooting 71 and 72 respectively in their first rounds, had an hour’s break before being sent out to play round two.

World No. 1 Jason Day was also still to tee off but likes his chances at a course he says “almost feels like home”, given his agent lives nearby.

It’s good fodder for debate on who got the better draw. I hit it close quite a lot, 26 putts.

Teeing off a day later than scheduled, Johnson played near flawless golf from tee to green, inching his way up the leaderboard.

One year before Jordan Spieth was born, Phil Mickelson made his professional debut with a 68 in the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and was two shots out of the lead.

DeChambeau was playing in the same group as defending champion Jordan Spieth, who was a frustrated figure when the horn sounded for a second time to halt play 12:07 p.m. ET (1607 GMT) as thunder rumbled overhead.

Still, when Spieth returned after the delay, he blasted a attractive bunker shot – probably aided by the wet sand – and salvaged a par.

“That was fine. That’s what the USGA had to do to get as much golf as they could in”.

T38. Rory McIlroy (+4, 13): A guy that needs to find something in this off time is McIlroy. On the short list of players who finished was Scottie Scheffler, 19, who just finished his sophomore year at Texas and opened with 69. Be sure to return to CBS Sports each day throughout the U.S. Open for live blog and recap coverage from Oakmont. “I wanted to get done so I could stay up late to watch that”. “I like a challenge, and this golf course is certainly a challenge”. I’ve enjoyed my practice rounds and my early scouting trip up here.