US Open: Who’s JJ Spaun? Introducing an everyday PGA Tour contender and America’s early main chief at Oakmont | Golf Information

As Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy made sluggish begins to their US Open title challenges, JJ Spaun continued his career-changing season by grabbing a history-making lead.

Spaun set the clubhouse goal with a shocking four-under 66 on Thursday morning, the place he carded the one bogey-free spherical of the day and equalled the perfect begin to a US Open at Oakmont Nation Membership.

There have been zero bogey-free rounds in 2007 at Oakmont and Dustin Johnson was the one participant to handle it throughout his victory right here in 2016, whereas Spaun’s spectacular begin – in a wave the place solely 5 gamers completed beneath par – was the primary bogey-free spherical of his main profession.

“I form of got here out right here with no prior historical past at Oakmont, not likely realizing what to anticipate even US Open-wise,” Spaun admitted. “That is solely my second one. I do not know if that freed me up in any side, however I simply tried to take what the course gave me.

“I hit quite a lot of good photographs and tried to capitalise on any birdie alternatives, which are not very many out right here. However I scrambled rather well, too, which is a big element to taking part in nicely at a US Open, not to mention shoot a bogey-free spherical. I am simply overly happy with how I began!”

Spaun’s scorching begin was one shot higher than closest challenger Thriston Lawrence after the morning wave, with DeChambeau seven strokes again after an opening-round 73 and McIlroy an extra shot behind after dropping six photographs in an eight-hole stretch.

Is Spaun’s quick begin a shock?

A chip-in on the par-four tenth – his opening gap of the day – was one among 4 birdies for Spaun, who scrambled brilliantly and transformed six putts from par of seven toes or longer throughout his first spherical.

Spaun has by no means posted a top-20 end in a significant and is with out a PGA Tour title for the reason that 2022 Valero Texas Open, his solely victory so far, though he has jumped from outdoors of the world 100 to inside the highest 25 after a powerful begin to the season.

“JJ Spaun is a very good participant and is a man who’s bettering yearly on the PGA Tour,” former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley instructed Sky Sports activities. “He is trending nicely, with two seconds and a 3rd place this 12 months, so this isn’t a springer out of nowhere.

“This a great participant who’s having a very good season. He stored the ball in entrance of him, which is essential, and did not go away himself photographs into bother. He putted magnificently and was among the best putters throughout his opening spherical.

“He’ll grasp round and I do not suppose he’ll fall away from the leaderboard, identical to he did at TPC Sawgrass when he pushed Rory McIlroy proper to the road and right into a play-off.”

‘I have been constantly there’ – Spaun’s season thus far

Spaun took a one-shot lead into the ultimate spherical of the Sony Open in January, the place a penultimate-hole bogey and shutting par on a par-five left him in tied-third and one shot outdoors of the play-off.

He completed tied-second just a few weeks later on the Cognizant Traditional, having carded a bogey-free 66 on the ultimate day, earlier than a superb efficiency at The Gamers noticed him drag McIlroy right into a Monday play-off.

Spaun held a 54-hole lead at TPC Sawgrass and recovered from a mid-round wobble to birdie two of his final 4 holes, taking him right into a play-off when McIlroy blew his late lead, however a triple-bogey on the second further gap ended his hopes.

The American additionally made sturdy begins with opening rounds of 66 and 67 respectively on the RBC Heritage and Truist Championship, each Signature Occasions on the PGA Tour, whereas he made a 66-68 begin on his solution to a tied-sixth end on the Charles Schwab Problem.

“I have been constantly proper there,” Spaun mentioned. “Everybody is aware of that the extra you set your self there, the higher you are going to have outcomes and the higher you are going to play, then ultimately flip a type of shut calls right into a win.

“The Gamers was a form of spring into the self-belief as a result of it wasn’t like I faked it. You possibly can perhaps faux it on the Sony and Cognizant or no matter, however to try this at The Gamers, a course the place I might by no means carried out nicely traditionally…

“To go head-to-head with Rory on Sunday, after which the play-off was nice for my confidence. Sadly, I did not win, nevertheless it was nice for me to form of lean again on that have and know that I can carry out on the largest of phases and deal with it with the strain.”

‘I’ve nothing to lose’ – may Spaun declare maiden main?

The final three US Open winners at Oakmont opened with a spherical under-par, whereas 23 of the final 26 US Open champions have been inside 4 of the lead after the opening day, with Spaun able to construct on his begin and early-season type and problem for a maiden main title.

“It undoubtedly makes me really feel good, makes me really feel assured that I am main the event,” Spaun added. “However yeah, there’s loads extra golf left and this course is simply going to get harder.

“I simply suppose I am attempting to really feel like I’ve nothing to lose. That was form of my mantra at The Gamers after I was taking part in rather well at that event and going into Sunday with the lead. It was like, I really feel like I’ve nothing to lose.

“So I’ll roll with that once more this week, and hopefully it’s going to prove extra in my favour.”

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