J.J. Spaun tames Oakmont, shoots 66 in 1st round at U.S. Open - ESPN

OAKMONT, Pa. — Sometimes it helps not knowing what could go wrong.

Having never played at Oakmont Country Club in a competitive round before, J.J. Spaun proceeded Thursday to chart his way around one of the toughest U.S Open tests in just 66 strokes.

«I kind of came out here with no prior history at Oakmont, not really knowing what to expect, even U.S. Open-wise. This is only my second one,» Spaun said. «I don't know if that freed me up in any aspect, but I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me.»

Spaun's round of 4-under par featured no bogeys, making it the first time that any player has carded a bogey-free round at Oakmont since Dustin Johnson's first round in 2016. Johnson, of course, went on to win his first major championship and finished the tournament at 5 under.

Over his 18 holes in Thursday's opening round, Spaun hit eight of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation. But where most of his scoring came on his first nine (he teed off on the 10th hole) with four birdies in his first eight holes for a record score of 31, what he did on his second nine was perhaps more impressive, as he scrambled for par and never had a three-putt on Oakmont's treacherous greens.

«It's challenging in every sort of aspect or variable in golf,» Spaun said of Oakmont. «You're obviously going to have to grind when you're out of position, and I did that really well today.»

Spaun's putter was incandescent during the first round. The 34-year-old made 90 feet of putts and gained nearly four strokes on the field with his putter alone.

«I think today was one of my best putting days I've had maybe all year, especially inside like the makeable range putts, inside 12 feet or so,» Spaun said. «I like converting those putts,