Fowler and Schauffele hit 62s at US Open to etch names into golfing folklore

Jack Nicklaus never managed it. Neither did Tiger Woods. Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros … the list goes on.

Luminaries of this sport have come and gone without ever posting 62 at a US Open. On a benign afternoon in an opulent corner of Los Angeles, two players delivered the magic number within an hour of each other. La La Land, indeed.

It was easy to feel a degree of sympathy for Rickie Fowler. As he celebrated the making of history, so soon after a form slump which threatened his career, Xander Schauffele appeared on the horizon.

The duo lead this, the 123rd staging of the US Open, at eight under par but the bigger picture was the significant one. Only Branden Grace at the 2017 Open Championship had previously signed for 62 in a major. Fowler and Schauffele have etched their names into golfing folklore. Such roars of delight have not been heard in these parts since the Playboy Mansion was in operation behind the 14th tee.

“It’s not really what you expect, playing a US Open,” said Schauffele. “But monkey see, monkey do. I was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard. I was glad he was just in front of me.” Schauffele was not taking matters any further than that. “It’s just Thursday,” he cautioned. “It’s a good start.”

Schauffele is the world No 6. His performance comes as no real surprise. There is, however, extra significance attached to Fowler’s display. For the previous two years, he was not even eligible to play in the US Open. His world ranking briefly slipped to 185th, which was remarkable given his earlier prominence in the sport. In 2014, for example, his worst finish across four majors was a tie for fifth.

Fowler, who is back working with his longtime coach Butch Harmon after what looked a