Scheffler and McIlroy off pace at bruising US Open

US Open round one leaderboard

-4 Spaun (US); -3 Lawrence (SA); -2 SW Kim (Kor), Koepka (US), Im (Kor)

Selected: -1 Detry (Bel), Rahm (Spa), Neergaard-Petersen (Den); Level MacIntyre (Sco), Scott (Aus), Spieth (US); +1 Hovland (Nor); +2 Aberg (Swe), J Smith (Eng), Schauffele (US), Wallace (Eng), Rai (Eng); +3 DeChambeau (US), Scheffler (US), Hatton (Eng); +4 McIlroy (NI), Fleetwood (Eng), Fitzpatrick (Eng); +7 Rose (Eng); +9 Lowry (Ire)

Full leaderboard

The world's top two Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy found Oakmont Country Club a bruising challenge as only 10 of the 156 players ended under par on day one at the US Open.

Masters champion McIlroy had started well and was two under through nine holes, but then unravelled with four bogeys and a double bogey as he posted a four-over 74.

Meanwhile Scheffler, who has won on three of his past four starts, is three over par after an uncharacteristically ragged round that featured five bogeys.

Out in front on four under is JJ Spaun, who McIlroy beat in a play-off to win The Players Championship in March. The American had four birdies in his opening eight holes and his was the only bogey-free round despite the benign conditions.

He was briefly overhauled by Im Sung-jae from the later starters only for the South Korean to bogey three of his final seven holes and drop back.

South Africa's Thriston Lawrence is one behind Spaun on the notoriously difficult Pennsylvania course, which is hosting a record-extending 10th US Open.

Brooks Koepka, the 2017 and 2018 champion, is alongside Im and Kim Si-woo at two under after birdieing his final two holes to post 68.

Scotland's Robert MacIntyre said his level-par round of 70 was "in the top 10 that I've played".

"I've never played a golf course as hard. Every shot is on a knife edge," he told BBC Sport.

Former winners Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth also impressed in their one-under and level par rounds respectively while defending champion Bryson DeChambeau described it as a "brutal test" after posting a three-over 73.

Also at three over is Patrick Reed who made only the fourth albatross in US Open history when he holed his second shot, from 286 yards, at the par-five fourth.

Sadly for the American, a triple bogey at the last left him three over par for the tournament.

And with dry weather forecast for Friday, this behemoth of a golf course should only get tougher.

Last time the US Open was held here in 2016, only four players broke par and in 2007, the winning score by Angel Cabrera was at five over.

While not quite that penal yet, this tournament does look like living up to its self-proclaimed billing as "the toughest test in golf".

There were more than double the number of bogeys to birdies on day one and, with the course drying out, greens getting faster and the wind yet to bare its teeth, it should certainly get harder.

The world's top two won 2025's first two majors but entered this in contrasting form – McIlroy having spectacularly missed the cut in Canada last week, while Scheffler has been imperious.

McIlroy, who missed the cut in 2016, initially looked good, with two birdies in his first three holes, including striking the longest drive of his season, a mammoth 392 yards at the 12th (his third).

But Oakmont bit back on his second nine.

Driving the ball into the five-inch deep rough off the par-five fourth fairway, he needed three shots to escape and only a remarkable 30-foot putt limited the damage to a bogey.

Further shots went at his 15th and 16th holes before a first taste of the enormous par-three eighth - playing at 276 yards - cost him a double bogey.

Equally, Scheffler was far from his metronomic best, turning at two over par and then bogeying 13 and 15 on the way home.

Winner in 2011, McIlroy has finished runner-up in the past two US Opens – in heartbreaking fashion last year after missing two short putts when leading in the closing stages – and has made the top 10 for six straight appearances.

While yet to win this tournament, Scheffler does boast three top-seven finishes but both have much work to do as the course toughens up.

Beyond threatening the biggest win of his career at TPC Sawgrass in the PGA Tour's flagship tournament earlier this year, world number 25 Spaun has three other top-10 finishes so far this season.

Starting with a 20-foot chip-in from out of the rough at the 10th tee, he excelled on the greens, making three clutch par putts from more than 10 feet to keep his card clean down the back nine.

"I'm trying to feel like I have nothing to lose," said Spaun, whose best finish at a major is joint 23rd at the 2022 Masters.

"That was my mantra at the Players, so I'm going to roll with that again this week, and hopefully it'll turn out more in my favour.

Of the later starters, Oakmont initially appeared to have been tamed by an immaculate Im who raced to five under through 12.

However, a miscued tee shot into the infamous 110-yard long 'Church Pews' bunker at the fourth (his 13th) immediately cost him a bogey and an ugly three-putt at his next hole coughed up another shot.

A further bogey left him two off the lead, the same as Koepka who looked close to his old unflappable self as he carded an eagle and two birdies.

"My coach had to have a strong word with me earlier this week," the five-time major champion said. "I had got into some bad habits."

Jordan Smith, who came through qualifying at Walton Heath, Surrey in May, put together a solid round although bogeys on his final two holes saw him post a 72.

Fellow Englishmen Aaron Rai, Matt Wallace and Laurie Canter are also at that mark, alongside Sweden's Ludvig Aberg who had a rocky finish with four bogeys in his closing five holes.

Tyrrell Hatton had two double bogeys in his 73 to sit one ahead of Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick who battled to four over, while fellow Englishman and 2013 champion Justin Rose closed with a double bogey in his 77.

The much-fancied Sepp Straka had a day to forget with zero birdies, four bogeys and two double bogeys in his 78.

And it was also a tough day for Ireland's Shane Lowry. The 2016 runner-up at Oakmont carded a nine-over 79, despite holing out from 160 yards at the par-four third (his 12th) for an eagle two.