US Open Leaderboard 2015: Updating Results and Standings for Friday
As expected, the first round of the 2015 U.S. Open at Chambers Bay produced quite a bit of shocking results.
The course received mixed reviews in the days leading up to the tournament, as some players lauded its uniqueness, but others weren't happy with its links style and the proposed setup by the USGA. Well, after Thursday's action, most players were in agreement about one thing: They really don't like the fescue greens.
Several players publicly criticized the inconsistencies of the greens, and one such player was Phil Mickelson—who previously shared his affinity for the course—during a press conference, via Bob Harig of ESPN.com:
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
"I think the biggest challenge is that the green speeds are different from green to green. That's going to wreak havoc on our touch. And that's the only thing I could possibly think of that is not really positive, because I think it's been very well done.
The best way to wreak havoc with us is change the speeds of the greens from green to green, no question.
"
Regardless of how the field feels about the greens, every player must perform in the same conditions. As we wait to see what kind of adjustments are made by golf's top stars for Friday's action, let's take a look at the tournament's updated standings and review some notable results from the first round.
Updated U.S. Open Leaderboard
The full tournament leaderboard can be viewed at USOpen.com.
Notable Thursday Results
Henrik Stenson
Henrik Stenson co-leads the U.S. Open after one round thanks to some great iron play and a red-hot putter. The Swede didn't take long to get some momentum built up, as a birdie on the second hole paved the way for a near hole-in-one on No. 3, leading to a tap-in birdie. Due to a pair of bogeys, Stenson made the turn at one under, but he was simply unstoppable on the back nine.
After rattling off four consecutive pars, Stenson birdied four of his final five holes on the day. He began with a great approach on No. 14, holed a spectacular breaking putt on No. 15, rattled the cup with an even longer putt on No. 16 and concluded his round with yet another on the 18th to notch a five-under 65.
Stenson was incredibly consistent Thursday, and he was one of the few players who appeared to have the greens at Chambers Bay figured out. If that continues, he'll continue to be a threat for the remaining 54 holes.
Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson also shot 65 on Thursday; albeit in completely different fashion than Stenson. While the Swede relied on a hot putter, the American utilized his phenomenal driving ability to severely shorten the course and make his approach shots far more manageable.
Johnson started the day on the 10th hole and didn't take long to get going, birdieing Nos. 11 and 12. He would go on to par the rest of the side before going on a tear of birdies on the front nine. After successfully navigating the first hole for his third birdie of the day, Johnson was able to capitalize on three solid approach shots, recording birdies on Nos. 4, 5 and 7.
He would finish with a bogey on the par-three ninth after just missing what would have been a phenomenal save by inches to notch a 65 on the day. Johnson's big-hitting ways will keep him in contention on a Chambers Bay course that will continue to be susceptible to the long ball.
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth's front nine was solid, as the Masters champion recorded seven pars, one birdie and one bogey to go out with an even-par 35. However, after birdieing the 10th hole, the 21-year-old phenom caught fire.
With 188 yards to the hole on No. 11, Spieth hit a brilliant shot, playing the contour of the green perfectly, as he watched his approach settle to just a few feet away for a tap-in birdie. He went on to drive the green on the 317-yard par-four 12th and two-putted for another birdie. A perfectly hit putt on No. 13 earned him yet another, but he wasn't able to keep the streak alive, bogeying the 15th hole and finishing with a two-under 68.
We saw how dangerous Spieth can be in a major earlier in the year, when he torched the field at Augusta, and if he can build upon the early momentum he established Thursday at Chambers Bay, we should expect to see his name continue to rise on the leaderboard.
Phil Mickelson
It was a tale of two nines for Lefty on Thursday, as his search for the career Grand Slam commenced. After starting his day with two pars, Mickelson hit a wonderful tee shot to the par-three third, setting up his first birdie. A brilliant approach on the par-four fifth set up his second birdie, and he went on to notch another on the par-five eighth to make the turn with a three-under 32.
Unfortunately, Lefty couldn't keep it going on the back side, bogeying No. 10 to drop a quick shot. He made up for it with a stellar approach to No. 11 that resulted in a birdie, but that would be his last of the day. Accuracy issues and near misses on the green led to a pair of bogeys on holes 13 and 14, and Mickelson would then par out to finish the day with a one-under 69.
Despite a lackluster back nine, Lefty is only four strokes off the pace through 18 holes, and he's in prime position to continue to contend to finally notch a U.S. Open victory after six previous runner-up finishes in the tournament.
Rory McIlroy
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy didn't get off to a hot start like many predicted. The Northern Irishman was taking a liking to Chambers Bay, his game suits the course perfectly and he has plenty of experience on links-style courses due to the time he spends on the European Tour. It seemed like he was destined to post a low number Thursday, but the end result was a two-over 72.
McIlroy didn't start poorly, beginning his day on hole No. 10 and notching a par. A brilliant approach on No. 11 led to a birdie and took him into the red for the day. Unfortunately, that wouldn't last long, as a pair of bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 brought him to one over. He rebounded well with a birdie on the 16th and finished the back side at even par.
He began the front nine with six consecutive pars, but then things began to fall apart over the final three holes. He missed a very short par putt on No. 7 to drop a shot, another miss on the par-five eighth led to a disappointing par and he closed out his day with yet another off-target putt that led to a bogey on the ninth.
While McIlroy is two over, he's seven shots back from the leaders, and considering his skill set, he's in no way out of contention. However, he will certainly need to right the ship quickly before he falls too far behind.
One player who really didn't have anything to write home about on Thursday was Tiger Woods. He sits tied for 152nd through 18 holes after posting a dreadful 10-over 80—his worst U.S. Open round ever. There was talk about whether Woods had elevated his game before the tournament to compete for his 15th major, but apparently that wasn't the case.
Woods opened his round with a bogey on the first hole after his errant approach found the fescue. Things didn't get any better thereafter, as he went on to bogey Nos. 2, 4 and 6 to make the turn with a four-over 39. That's not the way he envisioned his start to the U.S. Open.
The former world No. 1 continued his free fall on the back nine, rattling off three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 11, 12 and 13 before taking a disastrous triple on No. 14. His lone bright spot on the day was a birdie on No. 16 after a well-struck approach, but he gave that shot back with a bogey on No. 18 to close out his day with a terrible number.
Unless Woods can find some kind of magic on Friday, his tournament is all but over.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
