US Open Golf 2016: How to View Friday's Live Leaderboard Scores, Updates
Mother Nature had her say with the first round of the 2016 U.S. Open, shuttering Round 1 Thursday before some of the sport's most notable names could even hit the course.
Andrew Landry led the leaderboard into Friday in a rather misleading situation up top, as he hit for three-under par but only made it through 17 holes of play.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Landry boasts six missed cuts on the PGA Tour this season, which makes sense when one realizes just nine golfers finished Round 1 and half of the field had yet to tee off entering Friday.
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The Weather Channel still suggests rain as a slight possibility Friday, meaning those golfers who need to play 36 rounds might not even get the chance. It makes for a chaotic ride, so here's a look at how to catch the action.
U.S. Open Round 1-2 Info
Coverage: 8 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET, Fox
Live Stream: USOpen.com
Friday's Golfers to Watch
Rickie Fowler
One of the best golfers in the world yet to win a major, Rickie Fowler wound up as one of the biggest victims of Thursday's on-and-off play and unexpected low scores.
By the time Thursday ended, one could find Fowler all the way down the board tied for 56th thanks to a six-over performance.
The day started off on an encouraging note, as Fowler birdied the first hole, but a double-bogey on No. 3 served as a bad omen before he went on to bogey on five more holes while making it through just 12 holes.
Fowler talked about the experience on Twitter:
There's no sense in writing off Fowler just yet. But he looks like a far cry from the guy who finished fifth or better at all four majors in 2014, and instead more like the guy who finished 12th, missed the cut and placed 30th twice in 2015 before getting cut from the Masters this year.
They say crazier things have happened, and this year's U.S. Open already personifies crazy, though, so keep an eye on how Fowler responds if he can get in a rhythm while knocking out a couple of rounds today.
Danny Willett
For those who don't know, Danny Willett is the golfer who reeled in a first-place finish at the Masters this year, a triumphant arrival on the scene after posting one top-30 finish at a major from 2010-2015.
Willett obviously wanted to ride this momentum into the U.S. Open, but Mother Nature had her say. The rising star struggled with the starts and stops, getting a birdie on No. 2 before coughing up five bogeys through 12 holes to sit on a score of four over.
While far from alone, Willett was one of the most vocal about how event organizers handled start-and-stop conditions between breaks:
Like Fowler, Willett has plenty of time to turn things around, provided he can get some consistent play going and carry it through more than one round of play.
He especially needs a turnaround more than most if he's to keep etching out a space for himself in the mindshare of fans.
Jordan Spieth
Will Jordan Spieth repeat as U.S. Open champion?
It's the same question the globe asked before the Masters after golf's hottest player won two majors last season. He responded by tying for second this year, but he has had his own share of struggles with the U.S. Open so far.
Spieth made it through just 11 holes Thursday, struggling to a one-over par outlook and talking with the media about the challenges of starting and stopping at such a difficult course.
"It's a challenge not being able to warm up, going out there and trying to hit tee shots at the U.S. Open,'' Spieth said, according to ESPN.com's Bob Harig. "But it is what it is.''
Early struggles or not, it's hard to doubt a guy who boasts finishes of fourth or better in each of his last five outings at majors. Ditto for a guy who ranks first on the PGA Tour in birdie average (4.80) and third in scoring average (69.7), according to PGATour.com.
Still well within striking distance with plenty of golf to play Friday, Spieth remains the top name to watch as he looks to defend his title.
Stats and info courtesy of PGATour.com unless otherwise specified.
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