The China Mail - Burns fires stunning 65 to grab share of US Open lead

The 28-year-old American, chasing his first major title, matched the third-best US Open round ever at Oakmont to stand on three-under 137 through 36 holes.

That left him level with 18-hole leader J.J. Spaun, who fell to three-under after a bogey at the third hole, and South African Thriston Lawrence, who tees off later.

"I wanted to get off to a good start and I was able to do that and play a really nice back nine," Burns said.

Only two US Open rounds in Oakmont history were lower than Burns's 65, Johnny Miller's final-round 63 to win in 1973 and a 64 by Loren Roberts in the third round in 1994.

World number 22 Burns sank a 22-foot par putt at the ninth hole, his last of the day, to complete a stellar round.

Burns birdied the 11th on a 21-foot putt, sank a six-footer to birdie the par-three 13th, then made back-to-back short birdie putts at 17 and 18.

Burns answered a bogey at the first with a five-foot birdie putt at the second and reached the green in two to set up a tap-in birdie at the par-five fourth hole, then parred into the clubhouse.

"It was nice to get some rest and figure out how to play this golf course," Burns said. "It's really difficult. Sometimes the best thing is just to take your medicine."

Burns, who shared ninth at last year's US Open for his best major finish, last won at the 2023 WGC Match Play, but he fired a Sunday 62 before losing a Canadian Open playoff last week.

"I felt like my game was in good form coming in here," Burns said.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka and Norway's Viktor Hovland each got within a stroke of Spaun before he started but couldn't reach four-under.

Koepka made eight bogeys and four birdies to shoot 74 and stand on two-over 142.

Hovland, chasing his first major title, shot 68 to stand on 139, following three birdies to reach three-under with two bogeys and a double bogey on the next hole.

Heroics for Hovland, a winner at the PGA Tour Valspar Championship in March, included a 55-foot eagle chip-in at the 17th hole and a 23-foot birdie putt at the first.

France's Victor Perez aced the par-three sixth hole from 192 yards, hitting the 54th hole-in-one in US Open history. It was only the second ace at a US Open at Oakmont after American Scott Simpson in the 1983 first round at the par-three 16th.

Perez shot 70 to stand on 141 for 36 holes.

Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler fired a 71 with five bogeys and four birdies to stand on 144 alongside fellow American Collin Morikawa, who had a 74, and Spain's Jon Rahm, who shot a frustrating 75.

"I'm too annoyed and too mad right now to think about any perspective," Rahm said. "Very frustrated. Very few rounds of golf I played in my life where I think I hit good putts and they didn't sniff the hole."

Scheffler has won three of his past four starts, including last month's PGA Championship, and hopes to become the first back-to-back major winner since Jordan Spieth in 2015.

- 'A punch in the face' -

World number two Rory McIlroy, who won the Masters in April to complete a career Grand Slam, opened with a double bogey after finding a bunker off the first tee and the rough twice after that.

Following his first-round 74, that left the five-time major winner from Northern Ireland six-over and sharing 70th, with only the top 60 and ties set to make the cut.

South Korean Im Sung-jae, who opened on 68, fired a 77 to stumble back.

With few exceptions, Oakmont was delivering blows to golf's top talent.

"Everyone seems like they're exhausted when they come in off the course just because it's a punch in the face," American Denny McCarthy said.

"Even if you've played OK, grind it out and shoot a couple under to a couple over, it just takes a lot out of you."

N.Wan--ThChM