Ryan Fox heads down under brigade early at US Open
Ryan Fox – image courtesy of USGA
New Zealand’s Ryan Fox leads the eight Australasians after day one of the US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club, Fox taking advantage of the early morning calm and soft conditions to record a round of 68 to be in a share of 14th position, his only real blemish coming when missing a five foot par putt at the 13th hole.
That was the good news for Fox, the bad news being that he trails the joint first round leaders, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler by six shots after that pair had recorded the best ever rounds recorded at the US Open (62).
Fox is playing his 5th US Open but with three missed cuts and a best of 41st in the previous four, the event has not been good to the 36 year old to date.
Fox is, however, now a special temporary member of the PGA Tour after producing several good results in events thus far this season where he had gained starts via his great season in Europe last year and via his world ranking, and he is building confidence and experience at this level.
Cam Smith – during today’s first round – image USGA
Cam Smith appeared as if he might be the one to lead the down under brigade when he moved to 2 under through 10 but missed the fairway at the 13th, was forced to lay up and took bogey. He would hole a twenty footer for birdie at the 17th but then bogeyed the last when he again missed the fairway and green.
Smith finished with 1 under par 69, a score he would share with Min Woo Lee who also played late in the day.
Lucas Herbert finished with a round of even par 70, Cam Davis had 72, Adam Scott and Jason Day both had 3 over 73’s and amateur, Karl Vilips, who was even par through ten holes, eventually finished with 74.
At this stage, the cut appears as if it will fall around the 2 over par mark.
But the day belonged to Schauffele and Fowler whose rounds of 62 created history and opened up a two shot lead over Dustin Johnson and Wyndham Clark.
