US Open 2015 Leaderboard: Real-Time Updates for Thursday Leaders at Chambers Bay

The second men's golf major has finally arrived with Thursday's start to the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in University Place, Washington.

With a fast, links-style layout and plenty of quirky bounces to throw off even the world's best players, this tournament has a wide-open feel. And there is no shortage of juicy storylines to follow.

Below is a leaderboard that will update with the scores of Thursday's top performers in real time:

Tiger Woods is in the field this week. He enters ranked 195th in the world and is in pursuit of his 15th major title.

Even after carding an 85 and finishing last among those who made the cut at the Memorial Tournament, Woods seems poised to move forward, per ESPN.com's Bob Harig:

"

Sometimes you have to make a shift, and I did...Short-term suffering for long-term gain. I've done this before. When I've made changes in the past, I've struggled through it. I've come out on the good side.

I had to make those. It's more of a commitment than anything else. I had to make a commitment and I have. And things are starting to come together piece by piece. All the big change is already in and now it's just refining it and actually now playing more golf, playing more tournament golf.

"

The focus should be on the promising future of golf rather than Woods' attempt to pick up the pieces, though.

Jordan Spieth won the Masters at age 21 in this year's first major, and world No. 1 Rory McIlroy won last year's final two. Rickie Fowler posted top-five finishes in all four majors last year and won what's often considered the "fifth major" at The Players Championship in May.

Spieth should have an edge because his caddie, Michael Greller, used to carry clubs at Chambers Bay and is familiar with the new U.S. Open venue. Matt Ginella of Golf Channel observed the friendly galleries embracing Greller before the tournament:

These youngsters indicate the game is in good hands moving forward. It will take all Woods and other veterans can muster to keep them out of the winners circle in big tournaments.

Golf Channel's Ryan Lavner noticed how the best, most distinguished part of McIlroy's game was firing on all cylinders during practice:

ESPN Stats & Info highlighted the history McIlroy can make with a fifth major win as he hopes to bounce back from two straight missed cuts in epic fashion:

One star to focus on is 45-year-old fan favorite Phil Mickelson. The Hall of Famer is on a quest for the career Grand Slam, hoping to get that long-awaited U.S. Open victory after an unprecedented six runner-up finishes.

Mickelson finished second in each of his prior two major starts, and the last time he did in the U.S. Open was 2013 at Merion, where Justin Rose broke through for his maiden major win. Rose tied Mickelson at the Masters and just missed out on a victory in his last start at the Memorial Tournament.

But Mickelson's optimism hasn't wavered, per ESPN.com's Jason Sobel:

"

Phil Mickelson on U.S. Open: "I've always been motivated by failure. Makes me work harder. The fact that I've come so close is a motivator."

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelESPN) June 16, 2015"

Many golfers who haven't won a major will be in action, most notably Dustin Johnson and Jason Day. Johnson is an 18-1 betting favorite behind only McIlroy (7-1), Spieth (8-1) and Mickelson (16-1), per Odds Shark.

Day had to settle for second at the U.S. Open when McIlroy blew away the field at Congressional in 2011. The Aussie tied for second with Mickelson in 2013 and finished tied fourth despite a nagging thumb injury last year. 

To deny golf is better with Woods in the field is foolish. This U.S. Open will benefit immensely if he manages to vault into contention, especially if he goes down the stretch with some of the aforementioned young guns.

But the brightest youngsters in golf have picked up plenty of momentum over the past couple of years. The remaining majors figure to showcase their talents and force even casual fans to take notice of the influx of prodigies who are entering their primes sooner than expected and sparking a new era.