MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-American J.J. Spaun delivered a sizzling start and an unshakable finish to seize the early lead in the US Open with a four-under-par 66 at the unforgiving Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania on Thursday (Friday Manila time).
Teeing off early, Spaun birdied four holes on the back nine — Nos. 10, 12, 16, and 17 — for a tournament-best 31 before settling into grind mode, parring his last 10 holes to navigate the course’s punishing layout with admirable control and composure.
His round stood in sharp contrast to the struggles of many top players, who found themselves unraveling on a layout infamous for its narrow fairways, dense rough and lightning-fast greens. At Oakmont, precision and mental fortitude are often more valuable than power — and Spaun displayed both in abundance.
Spaun’s early brilliance was especially impressive given his recent heartbreak — a sudden-death loss to Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship last March after a costly water ball at the island-green 17th. That setback, however, only steeled his resolve.
“I don’t know why this is happening — at this point in my career,” said the 34-year-old Spaun, whose calm, calculated approach helped him withstand the pressure and preserve his lead
Spaun was born to an American father and a mother of Filipino and Mexican descent. His paternal grandparents emigrated from Victoria, Tarlac to California.
Spaun turned professional in 2012 and has since posted four wins, including titles on both the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. But he knows one spectacular round doesn’t make a US Open champion — especially with a crowded and motivated field lurking just behind.
South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence carded a 67, shaking off a double bogey on No. 9 and a bogey on No. 2 with six birdies to claim solo second. A logjam at third place on 68 included Koreans Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im, as well as LIV Golf star Brooks Koepka, a two-time US Open champion.
Ben Griffin, Thomas Detry, Jon Rahm, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and James Nicholas all shot 69s to sit in joint sixth, while a slew of notables, including Adam Scott, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Cameron Young, posted even-par 70s to remain within striking distance.
But some of the tournament’s biggest names faltered.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, the pre-tournament favorite, labored to a 73 and fell to joint 49th alongside defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and Tyrrell Hatton.
McIlroy, meanwhile, got off to a scorching start with birdies on three of his first four holes but imploded on the front nine with a birdie-less 41, marred by a double bogey on the par-3 8th, for a 74. He tumbled to joint 62nd with a group that included Phil Mickelson and Hideki Matsuyama.
World No. 3 Xander Schauffele closed with birdies on the last two holes to salvage a 72, while world No. 6 Ludvig Åberg rode a rollercoaster round. After opening with back-to-back birdies at the back and turning at 33, the Swede’s momentum crumbled with four bogeys over his final five holes for a 39, dropping him six shots off the lead.
With the course baring its teeth early and the leaderboard tight, a thrilling battle is expected to unfold over the next two rounds — and Spaun knows he’ll need more than just one great day to survive Oakmont’s gauntlet and etch his name in history.
