Rose claims 1st-round lead after opening 65 at U.S. Open
Justin Rose birdied his final three holes to shoot 6-under 65 and grab the first-round lead at the U.S. Open.
The Englishman only hit 50 percent of the greens in regulation at Pebble Beach, but he leads the field in strokes gained: putting. He carded one eagle, one bogey, and five birdies, giving him a one-shot edge over a large pack of chasers.
With the 65, Rose ties Tiger Woods for the lowest opening round at Pebble Beach in a U.S. Open.
Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Louis Oosthuizen, and Aaron Wise sit one shot behind Rose at 5-under. Fowler was the first to post a 66 on Thursday, and then Schauffele joined him with an eagle on No. 18, and Oosthuizen drained a bunker shot for birdie to grab his share of what was the early lead.
Scoring conditions were ideal during Round 1, leading to the field setting a record for the most eagles in a single U.S. Open round with 17. There were 19 eagles carded during the entire 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
Here's how the top of the leaderboard looks after Day 1:
| Place | Player | To Par | R1 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Justin Rose | -6 | 65 |
| T2 | Rickie Fowler | -5 | 66 |
| T2 | Xander Schauffele | -5 | 66 |
| T2 | Louis Oosthuizen | -5 | 66 |
| T2 | Aaron Wise | -5 | 66 |
| T6 | Scott Piercy | -4 | 67 |
| T6 | Nate Lashley | -4 | 67 |
| T8 | Sepp Straka | -3 | 68 |
| T8 | Emiliano Grillo | -3 | 68 |
| T8 | Rory McIlroy | -3 | 68 |
| T8 | Gary Woodland | -3 | 68 |
| T8 | Chez Reavie | -3 | 68 |
| T8 | Chesson Hadley | -3 | 68 |
| T8 | Henrik Stenson | -3 | 68 |
| T8 | Francesco Molinari | -3 | 68 |