LOS ANGELES — Rickie Fowler had all of about 20 minutes to enjoy his U.S. Open record.
Fowler had just posted the first 62 in U.S. Open history, charging to an early opening-round lead Thursday at Los Angeles Country Club, yet he had almost no time to bask in the glory as Xander Schauffele, playing two groups behind him, matched Fowler’s 8-under gem.
“Monkey see, monkey do,’’ Schauffele said with a smile. “[I] was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard. Glad he was just in front of me.’’
Fowler, who began his round on the 10th hole and finished on No. 9, had 10 birdies and two bogeys in his round while Schauffele had eight birdies and not a single blemish on his card. He finished with a flurry, with birdies on Nos. 7 and 8, his 16th and 17th holes of the round.
Fowler and Schauffele share the major championship record with Branden Grace, who had a 62 in the third round at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open. The record comes on the 50-year anniversary of Johnny Miller becoming the first player to shoot 63 in a U.S. Open, in the final round at Oakmont.
Both Fowler and Schauffele are California natives in search of a first major championship title.
“I knew it was close,’’ Fowler said of the U.S. Open record. “I wasn’t sure of the exact number. I was really just trying to keep moving forward. Made a lot of good swings. It’s been a while since I’ve made some midrange putts, so it was nice to make a lot of those.”
Fowler and Schauffele are trailed by Dustin Johnson and Wyndham Clark, both of whom played in the afternoon and shot 6-under 64. Rory McIlroy shot a 5-under 65 and is tied with Brian Harman. Seven players are 3-under, including Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Harris English.
Schauffele, referring to the traditionally treacherous U.S. Open conditions the USGA creates annually that make par as easy to accomplish as navigating the LA traffic, conceded that the low scores are “not really what you expect playing a U.S. Open.’’
Max Homa, an LA native who shot a 2-under 68, wondered aloud if the low scores posted by Fowler and Schauffele might have rattled the USGA.
“I’m sure after Rickie did what did, they will make it quite a bit harder for us [Friday] afternoon,’’ Homa said.
“I joked a bit earlier the USGA will be a bit frustrated that the number was that low today,’’ Scheffler said. “I don’t think you’ll be seeing too much of that over the weekend.”
Whether or not the low early scores woke up the beast that is the USGA is up for debate, but the bottom line is that Mother Nature was kind to the players.
Instead of the sun baking out the majestic North Course at LACC, Southern California’s “June gloom’’ kept the sun behind the clouds all morning and allowed the moisture to stay on the grass. That made for much more receptive greens and a level of target practice that players aren’t accustomed to in U.S. Opens.
“The sun didn’t come out and it was misting this morning, so I’d say the greens held a little bit more moisture than anticipated for myself at least,’’ Schauffele said. “It made the greens sort of that more holdable speed almost, and then coming into greens you’re able to pull some wedges back [with spin].
“And then, the fairways are a little bit softer, too, because of that sort of overcast, and without the sun out it’s not drying out much. I think fairways are easier to hit and greens are a little bit softer. I’m anticipating the sun to come out just as much as every West Coast person out here. I’m thinking the course is going to firm up a little bit.
“You just wait until this place firms up. It’s going to be nasty.’’
By the time Fowler and Schauffele were finished, they held a joint five-shot lead over the nearest competition from the morning wave of tee times. Scheffler, the No. 1 ranked player in the world, DeChambeau, Si Woo Kim and Paul Barjon, a qualifier from France, all shot 67.
That gives you a good idea of just how good Fowler and Schauffele were on this day.
“Heck of a round, U.S. Open golf course. I didn’t see 8-under out there today.’’
Schauffele called his round “just an all-around performance, honestly.’’
Fowler called his “a great day.’’
A great day indeed.