U.S. Open Thursday: J.J. Spaun still leading at Oakmont; Patrick Reed bags rare albatross
The 125th U.S. Open has teed off at Oakmont Country Club. Here’s a look at some highlights from Thursday’s action:
7:45 p.m.
Tony Finau was quite unlucky as he played the 18th hole.
His approach hit a sprinkler head on the green and bounced into the grandstand.
Don't touch it!
Tony Finau hit a sprinkler head, startled a fan, and ended up in the grandstand! pic.twitter.com/vAd2bHb2aR
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
5:45 p.m.
As quickly as he surged into sole possession of the lead, Sungjae Im fell back into a tie for second. Im made back-to-back bogeys on No. 3 and 4 to fall to 3-under. J.J. Spaun maintains the lead at 4-under.
5:30 p.m.
Jon Rahm, the 2021 U.S. Open champ, surged up the leaderboard back-to-back red numbers. Making the turn at 1-over, he stuck his approach inside 6 feet and made birdie on No. 3, then hit a 251-yard approach inside 11 feet and made eagle on No. 4. He’s 2-under, two strokes off the lead.
RAHM STRIKES FOR EAGLE! ????
Our 2021 U.S. Open champion is now -2 and just two off the lead. pic.twitter.com/ud3EYl8rhl
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
4:55 p.m.
Sungjae Im, a 27-year-old from South Korea who has won twice on the PGA Tour, made birdie on No. 1 and No. 2 to move into the lead at 5-under, one shot ahead of J.J. Spaun.
Im made a 17-foot birdie putt on No. 1 and hit a wedge to 6 feet and made the putt on No. 2. He started on No. 10 and made three straight birdies on 12, 13 and 14.
4:30 p.m.
Two other players with afternoon tee times are ar 3-under par, one off the lead.
Matthieu Pavon, a 32-year-old from France who won the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, also made three birdies on the back. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, a 25-year-old Oklahoma State grad from Denmark, made birdie at No. 1 and eagle at No. 4.
4:15 p.m.
Jordan Spieth, who won the U.S. Open in 2015, moved to even par and a tie for 17th after back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17.
On the 17th, a short par 4, he drove the ball into the “Big Mouth” bunker on the right of the green but then chipped to with in 12 feet. He buried the putt for a 3.
2:50
Patrick Reed rocketed up the leaderboard and put a charge into the Oakmont crowd with an albatross on the par-5 fourth hole, just the fourth in U.S. Open history.
He started the hole 1-over par for his round and ended it 2-under, tied for fourth place, two shots off the lead.
Reed, the 2018 Masters winner, hit his drive 332 yards on the 621-yard hole, then holed out from 286 yards.
???? ALBATROSS ALERT ????@PReedGolf with a 2 on a par 5, just the 4th in U.S. Open history! pic.twitter.com/FNDFzWwlzT
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
2:45 p.m.
A five-time major champion and two-time winner of the U.S. Open, Brooks Koepka hasn’t been in the best of form this season, failing to make the cut in the first two majors or make much of an impact in LIV Golf, but he’s on the leaderboard at Oakmont.
Koepka made a 42-foot putt for eagle on the 621-yard par-5 fourth and is two strokes off the lead at minus-2.
Koepka for eagle... BOOM! ????
The 2-time U.S. Open champion smashed this putt into the back of the cup. pic.twitter.com/VffL1DrbGE
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
2:15 p.m.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy wrapped up his first round at 4-over-par. He shot 33-41 and is tied for 73rd place as the afternoon rounds commence.
12:45 p.m.
J.J. Spaun shot his best round in a major championship and is the leader in the clubhouse at the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
He shot 4-under-par 66 to match the record for the lowest Round 1 score in U.S. Open history at Oakmont.
Watch and learn! ????????????
Every televised shot from J.J. Spaun's bogey-free 66, just the 8th flawless round in U.S. Open history at Oakmont. pic.twitter.com/fuQnyLMgL9
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
Spaun had a par on each hole of his final nine. He had birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 16 and 17 this morning.
Spaun is playing in just his second U.S. Open after missing the cut in 2021 at Torrey Pines.
He lost in a playoff to Rory McIlroy at The Players Championship earlier this year and qualified by being among the top 60 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
One way to avoid Oakmont's treacherous greens? Chip it in!
Early ???? for J.J. Spaun. pic.twitter.com/jS3bK5I7Y1
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
12:30 p.m.
Amateur Matt Vogt, a Seneca Valley grad and former caddie at Oakmont Country Club, completed his first round at 12-over-par 82.
The golfing dentist played the final three holes at 4-over after bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17 and a double bogey on the 18th.
• The practice range and putting green are full as the afternoon pairings get ready to tee off. See below for the full list of tee times for today.
11:45 p.m.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy endured the Oakmont rough on the fourth hole, but managed to save a bogey with lengthy putt.
After his tee shot landed in the deep fescue on the right, his second shot landed a few dozen yards forward in the rough alongside a bunker. He then hit out into the fairway before playing his fifth shot onto the front of the green. He then drained the putt for a 6 to move to even par.
Rory is currently in a battle with the par-5 4th. pic.twitter.com/zdUqIB36kM
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
11:15 a.m.
Shane Lowry had an impressive rebound after taking a double-bogey 6 on No. 2. His approach shot from next to the Church Pew bunker on the third hole rolled into the cup for an eagle to move him to 4-over-par.
It was the first eagle on No. 3 in U.S. Open history at Oakmont.
The third hole at Oakmont has never given up an eagle 2 in U.S. Open history... until now! ????
Well played, @ShaneLowryGolf! pic.twitter.com/kk9VlmyevX
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
10:30 a.m.
Gary Woodland is making a push. He is 3-under-par through eight holes, including birdies on Nos. 2, 4 and 5.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy played a bogey-free back nine and made the turn to No. 1 at 2-under par.
That included a monster 392-yard drive on No. 12.
That one nearly made it to the crosswalk! ????
A 392-yard blast with a turbo kick for Rory on 12. pic.twitter.com/8BUM3Vreww
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
And, here’s some more info on J.J. Spaun’s inward nine — he finished his first nine holes in a record-low 31 strokes for a U.S. Open at Oakmont.
The best first nine in a U.S. Open at Oakmont. Ever.
J.J. Spaun plays the inward nine in a record-low 31 strokes to take the early lead. pic.twitter.com/AB1iZdmgwV
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
9:30 a.m.
J.J. Spaun has made the back nine look easy this morning. Through eight holes, he leads the tournament at 4-under-par. He birdied the 10th hole, 12th hole, 16th hole and 17th hole.
J.J. Spaun has officially graduated from heating up to on fire! ????
He's now 4-under before he makes the turn. pic.twitter.com/dsiYSpPyi7
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
8:45 a.m.
The shot of the early morning at the U.S. Open at Oakmont came courtesy of Maxwell Moldovan, who had an eagle on the first hole when he buried his approach from the fairway. He opened as the leader at 2-under par. After a bogey on the second hole and third hole, he was back at even.
According to the USGA, Moldovan is the first player ever to card a 2 on No. 1 at Oakmont during a U.S. Open.
We have an early contender for shot of the day, and potentially shot of the championship!
An EAGLE ???? has landed for Maxwell Moldovan on 1. pic.twitter.com/YDqMdQwu67
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
6:45 a.m.
With a powerful, though wayward, tee shot from his 6-foot-6 frame, former Oakmont Country Club caddie Matt Vogt helped kick off the 125th U.S. Open championship Thursday morning at his onetime workplace.
Vogt, a Seneca Valley grad, along with Kevin Velo and Trent Phillips, made up the first group off the first tee at 6:45 a.m.
Former Oakmont caddie: ✔️
Current dentist: ✔️
First tee shot at the U.S. Open: ✔️Pittsburgh's own Matt Vogt gets things started with a 332-yard drive on 1. pic.twitter.com/Rdgo83INib
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
Miss the the fairway by 60 yards... still make par!
It was an opening hole that Matt Vogt won't soon forget. pic.twitter.com/9MfZgbf51b
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
The entire field of 156 golfers will be on the course throughout the day Thursday.
Here’s a look at the tee times for for the first round:
Thursday Hole 1
Morning rounds
6:45 a.m. - (a) Matt Vogt, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Kevin Velo, Danville, Calif.; Trent Phillips, Inman, S.C.
6:56 a.m. - Chandler Blanchet, Jacksonville, Fla.; Alvaro Ortiz, Mexico; Doug Ghim, Arlington, Ill.
7:07 a.m. - (a) Evan Beck, Virginia Beach, Va.; Maxwell Moldovan, Uniontown, Ohio; Justin Hicks, Wellington, Fla.
We have an early contender for shot of the day, and potentially shot of the championship!
An EAGLE ???? has landed for Maxwell Moldovan on 1. pic.twitter.com/YDqMdQwu67
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
7:18 a.m. - Harris English, Sea Island, Ga.; Tommy Fleetwood, England; Keegan Bradley, Woodstock, Vt.
7:29 a.m. - Xander Schauffele, San Diego, Calif.; Jose Luis Ballester, Spain; Bryson DeChambeau, Grapevine, Texas
7:40 a.m. - Matt Fitzpatrick, England; Wyndham Clark, Denver, Colo.; Gary Woodland, Topeka, Kan.
One of the players who knows *exactly* how to win this championship, Matt Fitzpatrick rolls in a smooth birdie on No. 1. pic.twitter.com/ZZIvZ7vWbE
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
7:51 a.m. - Akshay Bhatia, Jupiter, Fla.; Matt McCarty, Scottsdale, Ariz.; Robert MacIntyre, Scotland
8:02 a.m. - Cam Davis, Australia; Davis Thompson, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Thomas Detry, Belgium
8:13 a.m. - Richard Bland, England; (a) Trevor Gutschewski, Omaha, Neb.; Lanto Griffin, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
8:24 a.m. - Edoardo Molinari, Italy; Sam Stevens, Wichita, Kan.; Ryan Gerard, Raleigh, N.C.
8:35 a.m. - Thriston Lawrence, South Africa; (a) Noah Kent, Naples, Fla.; Thorbjørn Olesen, Denmark
8:46 a.m. - Jinichiro Kozuma, Japan; (a) Cameron Tankersley, Dickson, Tenn.; Chase Johnson, Boynton Beach, Fla.
8:57 a.m. - Philip Barbaree Jr., Shreveport, La.; Riley Lewis, Prescott, Ariz.; Brady Calkins, Chehalis, Wash.
Afternoon rounds
12:30 p.m. - Frederic Lacroix, France; Emiliano Grillo, Argentina; Sam Bairstow, England
12:41 p.m. - Byeong Hun An, Republic of Korea; Joe Highsmith, Lakewood, Wash.; Ryan Fox, New Zealand
12:52 p.m. - Victor Perez, France; Jacob Bridgeman, Simpsonville, S.C.; Adam Schenk, Vincennes, Ind.
1:03 p.m. - Min Woo Lee, Australia; Justin Thomas, Louisville, Ky.; Brooks Koepka, West Palm Beach, Fla.
1:14 p.m. - Sam Burns, Shreveport, La.; Nico Echavarria, Colombia; Denny McCarthy, Jupiter, Fla.
1:25 p.m. - Viktor Hovland, Norway; Collin Morikawa, La Canada, Calif.; Scottie Scheffler, Dallas, Texas
1:36 p.m. - Corey Conners, Canada; Jason Day, Australia; Patrick Reed, Spring, Texas
1:47 p.m. - Joaquin Niemann, Chile; Bud Cauley, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Daniel Berger, Jupiter, Fla.
1:58 p.m. - Mackenzie Hughes, Canada; Tony Finau, Lehi, Utah; Chris Kirk, Watkinsville, Ga.
2:09 p.m. - (a) Benjamin James, Milford, Conn.; Rasmus Højgaard, Denmark; Stephan Jaeger, Germany
2:20 p.m. - Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Denmark; (a) Justin Hastings, Cayman Islands; Laurie Canter, England
2:31 p.m. - (a) Frankie Harris, Boca Raton, Fla.; Emilio Gonzalez, Mexico; Roberto Díaz, Mexico
2:42 p.m. - Grant Haefner, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Joey Herrera, Fillmore, Calif.; George Kneiser, Oconomowoc, Wis.
Thursday Hole 10
Morning rounds
6:45 a.m. - Zac Blair, Orem, Utah; Scott Vincent, Zimbabwe; Alistair Docherty, Vancouver, Wash.
6:56 a.m. - Jacques Kruyswijk, South Africa; Jordan Smith, England; Eric Cole, Tequesta, Fla.
7:07 a.m. - Tom Kim, Republic of Korea; JJ Spaun, Los Angeles, Calif.; Taylor Pendrith, Canada
7:18 a.m. - Ludvig Åberg, Sweden; Adam Scott, Australia; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan
????
Adam Scott. 380-yard poke. pic.twitter.com/urnQgOK0dt
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
7:29 a.m. - Ben Griffin, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Andrew Novak, St. Simons Island, Ga.; Maverick McNealy, Las Vegas, Nev.
7:40 a.m. - Shane Lowry, Ireland; Justin Rose, England; Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland
RORY! BANG! ????
Pours in a birdie from nearly 30 feet on 11. pic.twitter.com/mlUl4cjpfJ
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
7:51 a.m. - Patrick Cantlay, Jupiter, Fla.; Si Woo Kim, Republic of Korea; Lucas Glover, Jupiter, Fla.
8:02 a.m. - Cameron Smith, Australia; Brian Harman, Sea Island, Ga.; Phil Mickelson, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
8:13 a.m. - Niklas Norgaard, Denmark; Brian Campbell, Irvine, Calif.; Justin Lower, Uniontown, Ohio
8:24 a.m. - Davis Riley, Hattiesburg, Miss.; (a) Jackson Koivun, Chapel Hill, N.C.; Johnny Keefer, San Antonio, Texas
8:35 a.m. - James Hahn, Alameda, Calif.; Mark Hubbard, Denver, Colo.; (a) Michael La Sasso, Raleigh, N.C.
8:46 a.m. - Joakim Lagergren, Sweden; (a) Mason Howell, Thomasville, Ga.; Chris Gotterup, Little Silver, N.J.
8:57 a.m. - Zach Bauchou, Edmond, Okla.; Jackson Buchanan, Dacula, Ga.; (a) Lance Simpson, Knoxville, Tenn.
Afternoon rounds
12:30 p.m. - Will Chandler, Sea Island, Ga.; Andrea Pavan, Italy; Takumi Kanaya, Japan
12:41 p.m. - (a) Bryan Lee, Fairfax, Va.; Guido Migliozzi, Italy; Preston Summerhays, Scottsdale, Ariz.
12:52 p.m. - Erik van Rooyen, South Africa; Max Greyserman, Short Hills, N.J.; Matt Wallace, England
1:03 p.m. - Russell Henley, Columbus, Ga.; Christiaan Bezuidenhout, South Africa; Nick Taylor, Canada
1:14 p.m. - Jordan Spieth, Dallas, Texas; Jon Rahm, Spain; Dustin Johnson, Jupiter, Fla.
1:25 p.m. - Tyrrell Hatton, England; Sungjae Im, Republic of Korea; Sepp Straka, Austria
1:36 p.m. - Cameron Young, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.; Tom Hoge, Fargo, N.D.; J.T. Poston, Hickory, N.C.
1:47 p.m. - Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela; Michael Kim, Dallas, Texas; Matthieu Pavon, France
1:58 p.m. - Marc Leishman, Australia; Aaron Rai, England; Nick Dunlap, Jupiter, Fla.
2:09 p.m. - Matthew Jordan, England; Yuta Sugiura, Japan; Carlos Ortiz, Mexico
2:20 p.m. - Ryan McCormick, Middletown, N.J.; Trevor Cone, Concord, N.C.; (a) Zach Pollo, Lincoln, Calif.
2:31 p.m. - James Nicholas, Scarsdale, N.Y.; (a) Tyler Weaver, England; Riki Kawamoto, Japan
2:42 p.m. - Austen Truslow, New Smyrna Beach, Fla.; Harrison Ott, Franklin, Tenn.; George Duangmanee, Fairfax, Va.
(a): amateur
The USGA announced the hole locations for Round 1 on Wednesday night:
Something to hold you over until tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/7VwEehPY4h
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025
Not able to make it to Oakmont Country Club, USA will broadcast Round 1 live from 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Peacock will pick up coverage from 5-8 p.m.
There also will be featured groups available to watch on USOpen.com and on the USGA app.
Your guide to catch all of the action from the 125th U.S. Open Championship. @NBCSports will present 21 hours of coverage on NBC, the most network exposure for any major golf championship. pic.twitter.com/V8nkl5ppNX
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 9, 2025
In case you missed it, here’s some links to TribLive’s coverage from the practice rounds the past three days:
U.S. Open practice rounds begin at Oakmont Country Club
A trip inside the U.S. Open merchandise tent in Oakmont
Oakmont caddies look to fill roles during U.S. Open, on and off the bag
Justin Thomas hoping to close the gap for No. 1 in the world this week at Oakmont
Former Oakmont caddie, Seneca Valley grad Matt Vogt enjoying emotional return home
U.S. Open notebook: Players’ mental toughness to be tested at Oakmont
USGA Museum offers attendees glimpse of past during U.S. Open
Conditions bring back memories of 2016 when U.S. Open winner Dustin Johnson broke par at Oakmont
Can big-hitting Bryson DeChambeau be fearless at Oakmont? He’s going to try
The U.S. Open’s low amateur in 2016, Jon Rahm riding top-10 streak in return to Oakmont
Rory McIlroy looks to build on Masters win at U.S. Open despite struggles since
Collin Morikawa ready for 1st crack at Oakmont, but he has won in Western Pennsylvania before
Among thousands of attendees, hundreds of kids attend U.S. Open for free
Ahead of U.S. Open appearance, PGA Tour pro Eric Cole credits the late Frank B. Fuhrer Jr.
Young fans give tips regarding the hunt for U.S. Open autographs
Scottie Scheffler returns to Oakmont as household name, U.S. Open favorite
USGA prioritizes player, family experiences at Oakmont championship
Make sure to bring a healthy appetite to the U.S. Open
Adam Scott prepares for Oakmont amid longest streak of consecutive U.S. Open starts
NBC golf analyst Tom Abbott: Watch out for the weather, Scheffler … and Phil at U.S. Open in Oakmont
6 levers USGA officials can pull to make Oakmont the ultimate U.S. Open test
‘You want to beat them’: Chase Johnson hoping to leave his mark in 1st major appearance
Tiger Woods: ‘There’s no faking it at Oakmont’
See how ridiculously fast Oakmont’s greens will be for the U.S. Open
U.S. Open volunteers share what drove them to come to Oakmont this year
Hole-by-hole look at what makes Oakmont Country Club one of the toughest tests in golf
Winning a U.S. Open at Oakmont isn’t for the faint of heart — or short off the tee
— Bill Hartlep
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.