US Open Leaderboard 2016: Thursday Score Updates and Tournament Predictions

The 2016 U.S. Open is underway at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, as Jordan Spieth seeks to defend the trophy against a magnificent field at one of the more challenging venues in the world.

Stay up to date in Thursday's first-round action with a live look at the leaders' scores below:

Oakmont last hosted this major championship in 2007. Angel Cabrera took the title with a winning score of five over par, which provides an idea of how difficult scoring conditions can be.

Read on for a deeper dive into the season's second major, featuring general predictions for several of the top players in the field.

2016 U.S. Open Preview, Predictions

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The biggest storyline to emerge from this year's U.S. Open may well be the course itself. Between the narrow fairways and small landing areas prompted by Oakmont's pure speed, players will find it difficult to fire at flags all week long.

Glass table-like greens will require precise approach shots that golfers will attempt to leave below holes whenever possible. The rough is also extremely deep, so in terms of course management, even the best golfers on the planet will have to balance aggression and distance with conservatism and precision.

Longer hitters stand to have a big advantage. Raw power and the speed of the fairways will make even irons off the tee a strong play as players try to position themselves in the short grass with less club for approach shots.

Spieth doesn't hit it too far but is generally the better putter among golf's top-ranked trio, which also features Jason Day and Rory McIlroy. However, Day has shown the ability to dominate with the driver and the flat iron, as evident in his record-setting 20-under-par triumph at the PGA Championship last year.

Day has risen to world No. 1 and has backed up his stupendous latter half of 2015 with three wins this season, including the Players Championship.

Rich Lerner of Golf Channel noted how Day seems to have the requisite game and mental fortitude to handle Oakmont:

Going purely off recent form, though, McIlroy may be the one to back as a winner. He finished tied for fourth at the Memorial Tournament and won his last start at the Irish Open. His putter seems to finally be coming around, as he finished third in strokes gained: putting at the Memorial.

Alan Shipnuck of Sports Illustrated explained why he thinks McIlroy will win this week, per Golf.com:

Also to consider as top contenders are two of the world's best who have yet to win a major in Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler.

Johnson three-putted the 72nd hole of the 2015 U.S. Open on Chambers Bay's bumpy greens. His first putt would've won the championship outright, and his second would've at least forced a playoff with Spieth.

FS1 highlighted Johnson's other close calls on the major stage in the past:

If he can get the flat iron going well enough, Johnson has all the tools to conquer Oakmont and perhaps open the floodgates for the prime of his career. D.J. has the talent to win multiple majors, and he has played well of late, placing third at the Memorial and fifth at last week's FedEx St. Jude Classic, where he fired a final-round 63.

Speaking of players fully capable of winning more than one major who are on the precipice of exploding, Fowler has that vibe about him. He certainly seems confident if nothing else, per Golf Channel:

The cool temperament, sweet swing, knack for birdie binging and top-five finishes in all four of the 2014 majors all suggest he's destined for greater things soon.

Although Fowler has missed his prior two cuts coming into Oakmont, he's well overdue for a stateside victory and can draw on plenty of prior experience in the hunt at majors. The 27-year-old ranks sixth in strokes gained: total this season even with his recent missed cuts, so he's been steadier than most realize.

Unfortunately for Fowler and Johnson, they seem destined for another consolation effort rather than a landmark win. Both should be in the top seven following Sunday's final-round action.

Spieth has won since his Masters collapse, yet he has been inconsistent for the most part and is 117th in greens in regulation percentage on tour. In Day's case, he's a phenomenal player, but winning two of three majors is quite a tall order, especially at a venue like Oakmont, which he hasn't played before. 

Despite the inevitable hype that will accompany them, don't expect Spieth or Day to fare any better than the top 15 once the dust settles on the 116th U.S. Open.

Among the veterans in the field, Phil Mickelson commands the most fanfare in his latest bid to complete the Grand Slam continues. Yours truly will believe it when he sees it when it comes to Lefty finishing first in this championship in light of his six prior runner-up finishes, though.

As for who will ultimately emerge with the trophy, McIlroy seems like a good bet. His overall length, his past two tournaments and his ranks of fourth in birdie or better conversion percentage and third in average distance of putts made per round bode well for a prospective fifth major title.

Note: Stats courtesy of PGATour.com.