US Open Golf 2015 Leaderboard: Live Look at Friday Scores and Overall Prediction

The eccentricities of the Chambers Bay golf course in University Place, Washington, proved difficult for some and minor impediments for others in Thursday's first round of the 2015 U.S. Open. The course opened in 2007 and has been the subject of much discussion both leading up to and after the first round of play, but it wasn't so tough that some of the world's best golfers couldn't play at peak capabilities. 

Twenty-five golfers finished below par after the first 18 holes, all of them led by Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson at five under. 

Wunderkind Jordan Spieth found himself in the mix with a score of 68 (two under) on Thursday, as did Phil Mickelson (69), Matt Kuchar (67) and Patrick Reed (66), among others. Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler, on the other hand, did not fare so well.

With Friday set to whittle down the field for the weekend's final two rounds, expect drama from those at the back dealing with the beguiling, variable course. 

Here's a live look at Friday's scores.

Spieth certainly appears to be in top form after his first 27 holes. He notched four birdies on his first nine holes Friday, only to spoil the effort somewhat with a double bogey on the No. 18 hole (he began play on No. 10). 

How does Spieth feel about the hole? No need to read minds in this situation, as Fox Sports demonstrates:

Still, he's got the chops and the momentum from his stellar overall play this year to remain in contention. ESPN Stats & Info noted he's looking to pull off a feat not seen in 13 years:

Johnson is, of course, a fine threat after notching six birdies on Thursday. He shook off a disappointing performance at the Players Championship to finish tied for eighth at the Byron Nelson Championship and 13th at the Memorial Tournament.

He's been solid throughout much of 2015 after taking time off to deal with personal issues. He delivered his assessment of his own performance in his typically laconic style, per ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski: "Today on 16, I think, you know, with the tee up, that bunker on the right, it's like 300 [yards] carry, and I can carry it that far, so it definitely helps to take the bunker out of play."

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

As for Stenson, well, the Sporting News' Alec Brzezinski believes he has what it takes to capture his first major:

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The powerful Swede has been hampered by the flu for the better part of two months but is starting to show signs of the form that pushed him to world No. 2 to start the year. Every major has a player who looks like he's going to win after the first round; that was Stenson on Thursday. He hit fairways and greens and even putted well. We're predicting Stenson continues his fine play and gets his elusive first major.

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Stenson's PGA form has dipped since a December-March stretch in which he finished in the top five in four straight tournaments. Nevertheless, the No. 6 player in the world is a steady, veteran hand on the tour and should remain in the mix all the way through Sunday.

Daniel Summerhays has been the surprise of Day 2, shooting five under through his first 15 holes to bring himself into the first-place conversation. The 134th-ranked player is certainly a shock contender at this stage, but expect Spieth to outlast the upstart and the other tournament pros to take home his second major of the year.

Overall prediction: Spieth wins