Spaun grabs early US Open lead, McIlroy two back

OAKMONT, Pennsylvania :J.J. Spaun emerged as the surprise early first-round U.S. Open leader on Thursday at Oakmont Country Club where Rory McIlroy was two shots back, defending champion Bryson DeChambeau opened with a bogey and Scottie Scheffler had yet to start.

Spaun, who started on the back nine and completed 11 holes on the notoriously challenging Oakmont layout, was four under on the day without a bogey on his card and sat one shot clear of 2019 U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland (through eight holes).

McIlroy reached the turn bogey-free at two under and was part of a five-player group who were in a share of third place while DeChambeau was a further two shots adrift.

Much of the talk ahead of the U.S. Open was how Oakmont, with penal rough framing narrow fairways that lead to slick greens, would keep scores in check, and while many players struggled there was more red on the leaderboard than expected.

McIlroy picked up his first stroke at his second hole, the par-four 11th, where he walked in a 27-foot birdie moments after getting a good read on the putt from playing partner Justin Rose, who missed his attempt to the left.

The Northern Irishman followed that with his longest drive of the season, a monstrous 392-yard strike down the 12th fairway that got a helping hand by a generous bounce en route to a birdie that gave him a share of the early lead.

McIlroy followed that with a string of six pars.

DeChambeau got his title defence off to a shaky start with a bogey, got back to even par with a birdie at the fifth, moved into red figures with a birdie at the seventh where his approach shot settled six feet from the cup and then bogeyed the ninth.

Australian Adam Scott, whose 96th consecutive major start this week is the