Shane Lowry started his first round Thursday and didn’t finish until Friday. But he still walked into the clubhouse Friday with his name near the top of the leaderboard with a 2-under 68.
He had little sympathy for some of his fellow golfers who complained about the way USGA officials scheduled play after a series of thunderstorms disrupted the first day of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
“I find the guys that are moaning about it are guys that are going to be going home early,” Lowry, 29, said. “You just have to get on with it. That’s Mother Nature.”
Reigning U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth said he was frustrated with how the USGA handled the first delay on Thursday, noting that, in his opinion, the players should have either remained out on the course or had time to warm up when play resumed — neither of which occurred.
But as for the remaining ledger that has shifted because of the inclement weather, Spieth, who won’t start his second round until today, said he is fine playing his second and third rounds today.
“I really don’t mind that at all,” Spieth said. “You stay loose. You just stay in the same rhythm. Obviously, you hope you get in a good rhythm to start that you can kind of gain momentum off.”
Lowry agrees, saying he just wants to make the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.
“We were hoping to get our first round done [Thursday],” the PGA Tour rookie from Ireland said. “We obviously didn’t. But you just have to get on with it.”
Parent trap
Mike and Val Knox were ready to arrive at Oakmont and see their son Russell Knox finish up his final five holes of the first round of his second U.S. Open.
Unfortunately, not even blood relatives could sneak their way into the course in the wee hours of Friday morning.
Overnight storms and residual rainwater from the downpours Thursday prompted the USGA to bar spectators — even parents — from the course during the earliest start times Friday.
“I don’t think they were able to watch,” Russell said. “So that was a bit of a bummer.”
The 30-year old Scotsman said golfing with no onlookers was a strange experience, especially since he had a hard time gauging the quality of his strokes.
“With no one being there, you can’t tell if you hit a good shot because of the lack of applause,” Knox said.
Knox finished the first round tied for 12th, sitting at even-par 70.
Close is key
While sand traps and long holes are among Oakmont’s biggest challenges, perhaps the most difficult obstacles the course poses to golfers are its speedy putting greens.
So it isn’t surprising that, at the end of the first round, four of the top five-finishers ended their first 18 holes among the five golfers with the fewest putts in the first round.
Andrew Landry (first), Lowry (T-4th) and Scott Piercy (T-4th) all finished in a tie for fifth in fewest putts with 27, while Lee Westwood (second) was tied for second with 26.
The only top-five scorer who didn’t fare well in his short game was Dustin Johnson, who was tied for 85th in fewest putts with 32.
But what Johnson lacked on the greens, he made up for on the tee, as he posted the highest average drive at 320.9 yards.
Thitiphun Chuayprakong squared up the fewest putts on the round with just 24 but finished the round 3-over-par.
Dan Sostek: dsostek@post-gazette.com or Twitter @dan_sostek.
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