Cameron Smith leading Australian at US Open as two players shoot record low rounds

Records fell and there was a hole-in-one, but there were mixed results for the Australians in the opening round of the US Open.

Jason Day got a front-row seat to the lowest round in US Open history as playing partner Rickie Fowler opened with a record-setting eight-under 62 in Los Angeles but failed to match his exploits on a tough opening day for the Australians.

Day and Adam Scott struggled to each shoot three-over in the opening round at Los Angeles Country Club as Cam Smith and Min Woo Lee led the way for the seven Aussies vying for the year’s third major championship.

Smith and Lee were the only Australians to reach red figures after both carded one-under 69s, including a final-hole bogey for Smith, leaving the pair seven shots behind runaway co-leaders Fowler and Xander Schauffele, who both set the new low scoring record.

Their pair of 62s were the first in 127 years of the US Open and only the third time in major history a round of 62 has been recorded.

Fowler carded 10 birdies and two bogeys as he wound bound the clock, while Schauffele went bogey free to set the pace at the tournament being played amid ongoing speculation over the future of the game after last week’s shock agreement between the US PGA Tour and Greg Norman’s LIV Golf.

Rickie Fowler and Jason Day walk up the seventh hole. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP

LIV rebel Smith, who will defend his British Open title in July and is coming off a ninth-place finish at the PGA Championship last month, found himself in a tie for 25th.

Lucas Herbert was a shot back after an even-par round as the leaderboard was jam-packed with stars.

Smith’s LIV tourmate Dustin Johnson carded a six-under 64, lipping out a par putt on his final hole for his lone bogey.

Rory McIlroy was also six-under going to the final hole but missed the ball completely trying to chip out of heavy rough next to the 18th green but made a big bogey putt to shoot a five-under 65.

They both loom large over the tournament following the early exploits of Fowler, who hasn’t played the US Open since 2020 and has been part of just four majors in the past three years, and Schauffele.

Fowler, who hasn’t won anywhere since 2019, said his opening round made the struggles worthwhile.

“It‘s definitely been long and tough,” Fowler said. ”A lot longer being in that situation than you’d ever want to, but it makes it so worth it having gone through that and being back where we are now.”

Sam Burns produced one of the highlights of the opening day when he nailed a hole-in-one at the par three 15th hole.

Sam Burns aces the 15th! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/bN3OrjBIQ8

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) June 15, 2023

AUSSIE OPENING ROUND SCORES

*Leaders at 8-under

1-under: Cameron Smith, Min Woo Lee

Even par: Lucas Herbert

2-over: Cam Davis,

3-over: Adam Scott, Jason Day, Karl Vilips (amateur)

Originally published as Cameron Smith leading Australian at US Open as two players shoot record low rounds