Page 19 - ARUBA TODAY

A19
SPORTS Friday 16 June 2017
Rickie Fowler leads U.S. Open on day of highs and lows

By DOUG FERGUSON erated by Florida-based
AP Golf Writer AirSign, was being treated
ERIN, Wis. (AP) — Erin Hills for injuries.
made its debut as a U.S. “I was teeing off and I
Open course Thursday with looked up and saw it on
a most gracious welcome fire, and I felt sick to my
for Rickie Fowler, who stomach,” Jamie Love-
matched the record to par mark said.
in the opening round with On the golf course, there
a 7-under 65 on the longest was only a barrage of bird-
course in major champion- ies.
ship history. Brooks Koepka, Tommy
Fowler had a one-shot Fleetwood and Brian Har-
lead over Paul Casey and man were at 67, with Pat-
Xander Schauffele. And rick Reed and Adam Had-
they plenty of company. win in the group at 68.
The low scoring suggested Hadwin tied a U.S. Open
the 11-year-old course was record when he made
a cream puff, hardly the six straight birdies, from
USGA’s idea of the ulti- the 18th hole through the
mate test in golf. fifth hole. He was 100 feet
Just don’t mention that to Rickie Fowler watches his tee shot on No. 5 during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament, away for birdie on No. 6
some of the best players in Thursday, June 15, 2017, at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. and burned the edge of
the world. Associated Press the cup on that one, ex-
Jason Day had two triple der 63 at Baltusrol in 1980. away when a commercial into a field and burst into cept that it ran by some 7
bogeys and posted a 79, “It is always cool to be part blimp, not affiliated with flames. The pilot, the only feet and he three-putted
his worst score ever in the of some sort of history in the tournament, crashed one aboard the blimp op- for bogey.q
U.S. Open. Rory McIlroy golf,” Fowler said. “But I’d
joked earlier in the week rather be remembered for
that anyone who couldn’t something that’s done on
hit such wide fairways Sunday.”
“might as well pack your Day and McIlroy, just to
bags and go home.” He name a few, might not
spent all day in the knee- make it that far.
high fescue and shot 78, his Of the top 10 players in the
worst U.S. Open score. world, only Masters cham-
Defending champion pion Sergio Garcia (70)
Dustin Johnson probably and Fowler broke par. For
didn’t feel so badly by the players like Jordan Spieth
end of a most peculiar (73) and Johnson, it was
day. He only shot 75, with a matter of not making
just one birdie. enough putts. For most oth-
“You won’t get a better ers, it was being careless
day for scoring,” Johnson off the tee and facing the
said wistfully during the rigorous test of recovering.
long walk to sign his card. Casey started eagle-birdie
No one took advantage and finished with two bird-
like Fowler. ies over the final four holes
Fowler, who shared the 36- for his 66.
hole lead at the Masters in “I was just trying to have
April, never came seriously half as good a round as
close to bogey because Rickie had,” said Casey,
he was never in trouble. who played in the after-
He kept it in the short grass, noon. “The scoring was so
the secret to Erin Hills that good this morning. I was
wouldn’t appear to be happy it stayed benign for
that difficult with some of us, and I capitalized on it.
the widest fairways for this The opening round was
major. without Phil Mickelson for
“You don’t get many the first time since 1993.
rounds at the U.S. Open He was in California for
that are stress-free,” Fowler his daughter’s high school
said. graduation, hopeful for
Fowler’s seven birdies were enough of a weather de-
from no more than 12 feet, lay to jet across the coun-
including three in a row try to Wisconsin. But as the
around the turn. His 7-un- sun rose over Erin Hills, and
der par tied the record to the forecast was for no
par for the first round of a rain, Mickelson withdrew.
U.S. Open held by Jack More startling than the
Nicklaus and Tom Weis- low scores was smoke ris-
kopf, who each shot 7-un- ing from about a half-mile