OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Andrew Landry needed only one shot Friday to set an Oakmont record and lead the U.S. Open in a rain-delayed opening round that lasted more than 32 hours.
Dustin Johnson needed only one round to get right back in the mix.
Landry warmed up by hitting about 50 putts, then finished his round with a 10-foot birdie for a 4-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Lee Westwood and Dustin Johnson. It was the lowest opening round in 10 majors at Oakmont, breaking the mark of Ben Hogan in the 1953 U.S. Open and Tom Watson in the 1978 PGA Championship.
“History is history,” Landry said. “I’m just playing golf.”
It was the first time in 30 years that a U.S. Open rookie had the sole lead after the opening round.
Landry, a 28-year-old qualifier ranked No. 624, was long gone when Johnson went to work. Johnson, the heartbreak story from Chambers Bay when he lost the U.S. Open with a three-putt from 12 feet on the final hole, played bogey-free on an Oakmont course still soft from nearly 3 inches of rain.
“It’s still playing tough,” Johnson said.
The numbers would suggest otherwise, at least for an opening…
