U.S. Open gets a soggy start to the week at Oakmont, with Jordan Spieth among early arrivals

Players began arriving at Oakmont on Sunday with umbrellas and expectations for a U.S. Open to live up to its reputation as golf’s toughest test.

Jordan Spieth was among the early arrivals, playing the front nine Saturday and 11 holes Sunday in a light-but-steady rain. Turns out the USGA had a policy that no one could start on No. 10. Spieth went down the first, back up the ninth and headed to No. 10.

It was long. And it was wet. The area got pounded with rain Friday, and heavy rain arrived again Sunday afternoon. As if Oakmont wasn’t already tough enough.

“This course is built to be like this,” Spieth said. “So they’re not doing a whole lot different to the golf course. You hit a good shot, you get rewarded for it here. And if you don’t, you’re in big trouble. It’s pure golf, no funny business about it.”

Sunday also was when the final field was set, barring any withdrawals. Ryan Fox won the Canadian Open and was among three players — Cameron Young and Bud Cauley were the others — who moved into the top 60 in the latest world ranking to earn a spot.

Cauley and Young had made it through 36-hole qualifying last Monday, so their spots went to Chase Johnson and Eric Cole, who also had played in the Columbus, Ohio, qualifier. Cole was the second alternate in Columbus but got the spot because that’s where Cauley and Young were.

The USGA held back six spots for anyone else who might have moved into the top 60. The other three went to alternate Doug Ghim from the Dallas qualifier, Takumi Kanaya from the Toronto site and Riki Kawamoto in Japan.

Earlier, Sahith Theegala withdrew with an injury. He was replaced on the general alternate list by Matthew Jordan from the England site.

Spieth was keeping score on this day: He gave himself an 18-inch birdie putt after a 50-yard chip on the short par-4 17th and was 2-under for the day. He also did plenty of chipping and putting. On one hole, he had his caddie throw him golf balls down into the bunker. The grass was so thick it gobbled up the balls before they reached to the sand.

The rough was as advertised — mainly the sheer density of it — and it was made even more difficult considering how wet it was.

Spieth wasn’t worried so much about the grass off the fairway. Everyone has to deal with that at some point during the U.S. Open. It was what followed.

“It magnifies once you make a mistake if you don’t play the right shot,” he said. “It’s not like making a mistake is the end of the world. It might cost you half a shot. You just have to take what it gives you.”

More than 60 players in the U.S. Open field were at the Memorial two weeks ago, which also featured rough that was longer and thicker than normal. Growing grass has not been an issue in the Ohio Valley this year. The difference is the speed of Oakmont’s greens — reputed to be the fastest in the land — and not many forced carries.

“This test here, because they give you more runways to try to run it up to the green, it entices you to think you can do more than you should,” Spieth said. “That will be the biggest challenge this week — swallowing pride. Bogeys don’t hurt you. Anything more will.”

The forecast was for more scattered showers Monday and then a break from the rain until the weekend.

Oakmont is hosting the U.S. Open for a record 10th time.