Fowler, Schauffele make history in L.A.
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Xander Schauffele (L) and Rickie Fowler. Photos: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele, California natives who grew up within a couple hours of Los Angeles Country Club, did their home crowd proud on Thursday with a pair of record-setting performances.
Driving the news: Fowler and Schauffele both shot an 8-under 62, breaking the record for the lowest round in U.S. Open history and tying the record for the lowest round at any major.
By the numbers: The previous U.S. Open record, 63, has been recorded six times: Johnny Miller (1973), Jack Nicklaus (1980), Tom Weiskopf (1980), Vijay Singh (2003), Justin Thomas (2017) and Tommy Fleetwood (2018).
- The only other golfer with a 62 in a major was South Africa's Branden Grace in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship at England's Royal Birkdale Golf Club.
- Fowler and Schauffele are also just the third pair of golfers to card a 63 or better in the same round at a major, joining Nicklaus and Weiskopf (1980 U.S. Open) and Brooks Koepka and Charl Schwartzel (2018 PGA Championship).
- Fowler also carded 10 birdies, the most ever in a U.S. Open round.
Between the lines: It wasn't just Fowler and Schauffele: A U.S. Open record six golfers shot 65 or better, and the field scoring average of 71.38 broke the previous U.S. Open Round 1 record by almost a full stroke (72.29 at Baltusrol in 1993).
- And while it would be easy to point to LACC's par of 70 as the reason for these low scores, 70 is actually the most common par at the U.S. Open, including 17 of 24 times this century.
- Perhaps instead it was that players could focus more easily amid the smaller-than-normal crowds at the ultra-exclusive club that "doesn't have the infrastructure required to host the masses."
Yes, but: One historic day does not necessarily portend three more: "You just wait until this place firms up," Schauffele told The Athletic ($). "It's going to be nasty."
🎥 Round 1 highlights:
- Two aces: Matthieu Pavon and Sam Burns nail holes-in-one on No. 15.
- Eagle from deep: Viktor Hovland holes out for eagle from 165 yards.
- Stunning chip-in: Seriously, just watch this chip-in for birdie from amateur Michael Brennan.
- So close: Alejandro del Rey nearly aces the par-4 sixth.
