OAKMONT, Pa. -- Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele had some words of advice for J.J. Spaun, who grabbed the early clubhouse lead with a 4-under 66 in the opening round of the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
"It's Thursday," Schauffele said. "You know, I'd just tell J.J., 'Incredible round, nice playing. Good luck the rest of the way.'"
On a day when Oakmont's notorious rough and its lightning-fast greens chewed up many of the best golfers in the world, Spaun was the only one in the morning wave who didn't record a bogey in 18 holes.
Oakmont proved to be too much for defending U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Masters champion Rory McIlroy, at least in the first round. DeChambeau carded a 3-over 73, while McIlroy was one stroke worse.
"This golf course can come up and get you pretty quick, and you've just got to be on your game," DeChambeau said. "And it got me, and I wasn't fully on my game, so pretty disappointed with how I played. It's not too far off, you know. Just got to get the putting a little bit more dialed, and I'll be right there, because 3 over could have easily been 2 under today."
DeChambeau was cruising at 1 under after eight holes, but things got away from him from there. After a three-putt bogey on the ninth, he made a mess of the par-5 12th, needing a 25-foot putt from the fringe to save bogey. He hit his drive on No. 15 into a bunker and carded another bogey, then had another three-putt bogey on 16.
Although DeChambeau hit eight of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation, his short game and putting plagued him throughout the round. He was losing nearly two strokes (1.79) on the greens to the field and needed 32 putts. He lost more than one stroke (1.31) around the greens.
"For whatever reason, I just couldn't get the speed of the greens dialed," DeChambeau said. "I was in the collar a couple times and had three three-putts."
On the par-5 12th, DeChambeau's approach was hot and rolled through the green. His ball was buried in the deep rough on a 45-degree slope. He tried to hit a soft flop shot on his third and his ball landed in the rough. He couldn't get out with his fourth, then chipped to the fringe.
"There's really not much I'm trying to do," DeChambeau said. "I'm trying to kind of like a semi-half flop, and it came out like a jumper, and just shot and knuckled right. And I'm like, 'Well, horrible decision, but life goes on.'"
In hindsight, DeChambeau said he should have hit a low shot with a 7-iron out of the rough.
"I should have just ran it up there, instead of trying to get cute with it," he said. "That's the U.S. Open for you."
McIlroy was back in the U.S. Open for the first time since squandering a 2-stroke lead with five holes to play in the final round at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina last year. He missed short putts on Nos. 16 and 18 and lost to DeChambeau by 1 shot.
The five-time major champion was in great shape after carding a 2-under 33 on the back nine to start his opening round. But then things quickly fell apart on the front nine with bogeys on Nos. 1, 4, 6 and 7 and a double bogey on No. 8. He finished 6-over 41 on the front nine.
McIlroy three-putted No. 1 and hit his drive on No. 4 into the tall native grass. It took him three shots to get his ball back into the fairway, then he made a 30½-foot putt for a bogey.
He double-bogeyed the par-3 eighth after hitting his tee shot into the rough. He couldn't get out on his second and needed three more shots.
McIlroy declined to talk to reporters after his round.
Schauffele posted a 2-over 72 after carding birdies on his last two holes, including a 25-foot putt on the 18th.
With temperatures warming up Thursday, Oakmont's fairways and greens were getting firmer and fast. Rain is in the forecast for the weekend, but Schauffele hopes it stays away.
"You know me, I'm sick just like everyone else," Schauffele said. "I don't mind if it's playing tough."