What will they do for an encore at the 123rd U.S. Open?
Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele each got off to record-setting starts Thursday by shooting 8-under par 62s, the lowest rounds in the tournament’s 123-year history.
Fowler maintained his lead entering the weekend by shooting a 2-under 68 on Friday. Schauffele is two strokes back after he shot an even-par 70. Wyndham Clark shot a 67 and trails Fowler by one shot.
Among the notable players to miss the cut was Phil Mickelson, who has had better birthdays.
USA TODAY Sports will bring you the latest news, updates, highlights and more throughout Friday’s second round. Follow along.
Live Leaderboard: US Open Tournament Scores, Schedules, Pairings and More
ROUND 1 RECAP: Fowler, Schauffele fire record-setting 62s to share lead
Rickie Fowler finishes second round atop leaderboard, birdies half his holes
Fowler birded the par-4 17th hole and almost converted another birdie on the par-4 18th hole, bringing his total of birdies in the U.S. Open to 18 in the tournament. That means he’s birdied half of the holes so far.
He’s 10-under for the sole lead.
After shooting an opening round 8-under par 62, the lowest round in the tournament’s 123-year history, he followed that up with a 68 in the second round. That ties the 36-hole U.S. Open scoring record. (Martin Kaymer also scored a 130 in 2014.)
Fowler is on the verge of making history, again. The record for the most birdies in a single U.S. Open is 22 by Brendan Steele in 2017 at Erin Hill. Fowler is only 4 birdies away from the record.
The crowd greeted him with chants of “Rickie, Rickie” as he walked up the 18th.
“Yeah, the fans have been great here,” Fowler said. “I feel like especially yesterday as the round went on, just kind of more and more energy with — as I continued to go more and more under par.
“I’m looking forward to the weekend. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this good in a tournament, let alone a major. It’s going to be a challenge, but I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
Brooks Koepka ‘not a fan of’ Los Angeles Country Club course
Brooks Koepka will probably not win a U.S. Open citizenship award for his comments Friday at Los Angeles Country Club. “I’m not a huge fan of this place,’’ he said after his round of 1-under 69 that left him at even heading into the weekend.
“I’m not a huge fan of blind tee shots, and then I think there’s just some spots that no matter what you hit, the ball just ends up in the same spot,’’ he added. “I think it would be more fun to play on just like a regular round than it would be a U.S. Open. I mean, there’s, what, two 8s yesterday. That doesn’t happen.’’
Of course he was referring to the 8-under 62 shot by Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele Thursday in the first round. Koepka said he prefers a course tough enough where the winner finishes near par – unlikely to be the case at the 123rd U.S. Open.
— Josh Peter
Rory McIlroy in the hunt
Talk of golf star Rory McIlroy ending the nine-year drought since he won his last major championship is heating up.
For good reason.
McIlroy, a four-time major winner, remains near the top of the leaderboard at the U.S. Open heading into the weekend after his round of 3-under 67 Friday dropped him to 8-under for the tournament at the Los Angeles Country Club.
“I started thinking about winning this thing when I came here on Monday,’’ said McIlroy, who won his last major at the 2014 PGA Championship. “I’ve already done that.
“No one wants to win another major – no one wants me to win another major more than I do. The desire is obviously there.’’
— Josh Peter
Rickie Fowler retakes lead
Rickie Fowler is back on top. He birdied the par-3, 15th hole for his seventh birdie of the second round. He’s the sole leader at 10-under for the tournament after 15 holes.
Fowler has birdied 17 out of 33 holes in the U.S. Open.
Rickie Fowler in three-way tie for lead after back-to-back bogeys
There’s a tie atop the leaderboard. Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele, who ended the opening round as co-leaders Thursday after shooting 8-under par 62s, the lowest rounds in the tournament’s 123-year history, are tied again. Fowler, Schauffele and Wyndham Clark are all 9-under for the tournament.
Fowler reached 11-under on the front-nine of the second round on Friday, but shot back-to-back bogeys on the 10th and 11th hole to bring him to a three-way tie with Schauffele and Clark.
Rickie Fowler hits third bogey, lead shrinks
Rickie Fowler’s lead is shrinking after he shot a bogey on the par-four 10th hole, his third bogey of the second round. He’s 10-under for the tournament and has a one stroke lead over Wyndham Clark and Xander Schauffele, who are both 9-under.
Fowler has shot five birdies in the front-nine of the second round and nearly had another on the ninth hole, but the ball stopped just short of the target. He tapped it in for par.
Rickie Fowler has funny interaction with spectator after missing par putt
Fowler continues to lead the U.S. Open close to halfway through his second round, but he lost a stroke when he bogeyed the seventh hole — but that produced a humorous moment with someone in the crowd.
After Fowler came up short on a putt that would have saved par, a spectator loudly asked, “What are you doing?” Fowler looked in the direction of the question and hilariously shrugged before he tapped in his fourth shot.
He threw a brush-off wave in the direction of the fan as he retrieved his ball from the hole and moved on to his next hole sitting at 10-under.
Fowler opens second round with three consecutive birdies
Rickie Fowler is picking up where he left off.
After shooting an 8-under 62 on Thursday, the lowest round in the tournament’s 123-year history, the American started his second round with birdies on his first three holes to bring him to 11-under for the tournament. He’s now in the sole lead for the tournament, two strokes ahead of American Wyndham Clark, who is 9-under.
Fowler shot 10 birdies in his historic opening round, and now has 13 birdies in 21 holes played.
How many more will he have today?
McIlroy nearly aces hole, finishes with birdie
Close, but no cigar.
Rory McIlroy nearly shot an ace on the par-3, 171-yard ninth hole. He teed off on his last hole of the second round and his ball rolled less than three feet from the pin. Although he didn’t get the desired eagle, McIlroy was able to tap the ball in for a birdie, his seventh of the round. He is 8-under for the tournament and is tied for third place with Xander Schauffele.
It’s the opposite end result for McIlroy, who finished his opening round with a bogey on Thursday. He last won the U.S. Open in 2011 and is in striking distance of the top.
Spieth on the verge of missing the cut
Jordan Spieth is on the wrong side of the cut line.
The three-time major winner finished with a 71 on Friday, shooting five bogeys and four birdies. His second round was slightly better than his 72 opening round, but it won’t be good enough to make it into the weekend. He currently sits at 3-over for the tournament, one stroke above the cut line at 2-over.
Spieth won the U.S. Open in 2015.
Could Mickelson miss the cut?
After an opening round 69 on Thursday, Phil Mickelson’s fortunes took a turn for the worse in the second round when he carded a 4-over 74 to bring his two-day score to 3-over. The six-time major winner, who turned 53 Friday, is still seeking his first U.S. Open championship after finishing second or tied for second six times in his career. The USGA just announced a projected cut of 2-over, meaning Lefty will fall just outside the line. Following 36 holes, the low 60 players and ties will advance to the final two rounds this weekend.
Three-way tie for first; Dustin Johnson, Mcllroy remain four off the pace
Wyndham Clark bogeys No. 4 to fall back into a three-way tie with Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele through the second round at Los Angeles Country Club.
Tony Finau and Sam Bennett are closing in, currently at 5-under. Min Woo Lee has birdied three of his last four holes and is at 4-under with Harris English, Brian Harman, Rory McIlroy, who started his back nine with a birdie on the par 5 No. 1 and Dustin Johnson, despite his quadruple bogey earlier in the round.
The scores have maintained with the weather cloudy and the players not having to worry about the wind for now, but conditions are expected to change later in the afternoon.
Clark grabs lead with amazing birdie run
American Wyndham Clark got off to a strong start in his second round, taking the lead at 9-under with three birdies on his first seven holes, fueled by a spectacular shot at the 15th hole.
After just missing the green in two on the mammoth 605-yard par 5, Clark found himself with an extremely difficult uphill lie in thick rough with a bunker sitting between his ball and the flagstick.
He had several options, but the most daring route was the one he chose. Taking a full swing, Clark made solid contact as the ball soared high in the air, over the bunker, to within 10 feet of the hole.
After that, sinking the putt for birdie was a relative piece of cake.
He followed that up with another birdie two holes later to move to 9-under par, one shot ahead of first-round leaders Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele.
LACC lays down the hammer with club rules and regulations
While most country clubs have strict guidelines in terms of protocol and how they want their venue run, Los Angeles Country Club drew the ire of some fans with its rather unique set of rules.
Here are some of the doozies:
Audible calls and messages are only permitted inside closed vehicles in the parking lots, in the Phone Room, or in the phone booths in the Men’s and Women’s Locker Rooms. (Yes, phone booths.)
No photos or videos of the club on social media.
No athletic clothes or apparel with slogans.
Shorts of any kind, including skorts and culottes. Cargo pants, warm-up suits, leggings, jogging and gym attire are also banned.
No tipping allowed.
Also, don’t even try to change your shoes in the parking lot.
Quadruple bogey plummets Dustin Johnson down leaderboard
Two-time major champion Dustin Johnson began his second round within striking distance of the leaders after shooting a brilliant 64 on Thursday. However, his bid for a third major got a little more difficult when he took an 8 on his scorecard on the 490-yard par-4 second hole.
After hitting into the left-side bunker off the tee, Johnson was unable to find the fairway on his second shot. From a gnarly lie in the rough, his third shot from 116 yards found the barranca in front of the green.
After a drop, Johnson flew the green with a wedge — forcing him to chip back down the slope before two-putting for his quadruple bogey.
Ouch.
Views, atmosphere, pace of play: LACC a unique U.S. Open venue
The famed Los Angeles Country Club, which ranks as the No. 2 private course in California, is making its debut as a U.S. Open host, ending a 75-year drought for the U.S. Open in L.A. since Riviera hosted back in 1948. The ultra-exclusive club off Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills has been hesitant to open its doors to the outside world for years, let alone for major championships attended by tens of thousands.
But hosting an event of this magnitude comes at a cost. Here are some pros and cons of hosting the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. — Adam Woodard, Golfweek
Friday’s first highlight: Brent Grant from way downtown
Competing in his first U.S. Open, qualifier Brent Grant began play Friday at 2-over and lost a shot on his second hole of the day. But he made it up in spectacular fashion on hole No. 12, nailing a birdie putt from 61 feet.
Grant, 27, has one win as a professional: the 2022 Simmons Bank Open on the Korn Ferry Tour.
5 celebrity homes you can see at Los Angeles Country Club
When you’re going to play golf in Hollywood, the stars are going to come out, right?
The 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club sort of fits that bill. It’s not quite in Hollywood this year — it’s in Beverly Hills if we’re being exact. And while we might see celebs in the gallery this week, there are some homes around the course that belong to some very famous names.
And by homes, I mean MANSIONS. Here’s a guide to some of those palatial homes you might see all week. — Charles Curtis, For The Win
Big names battling to stay close to leaders’ blistering pace
The leaderboard at the 123rd U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club looks more as if it was the Bob Hope Desert Classic down the road in Palm Springs.
Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele set the pace with record-breaking 8-under 62s. The only other PGA Tour event with multiple 62s this season? The Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
“Seeing Rickie and Xander take it deep out there, it’s like, well, this isn’t your typical U.S. Open mindset of like I’m just playing for par,” said Harris English, who shot 67. “I mean, you got to make some birdies to keep in line with those guys.”
Here’s how three decorated challengers managed to stay within striking distance while the world’s top two players got off to sluggish starts. — Adam Schupak, Golfweek
Low scores commonplace up and down U.S. Open leaderboard
In addition to Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele setting a U.S. Open record by shooting 62s in Thursday’s first round, the rest of the 2023 field helped rewrite part of the record book as well.
The composite first-round scoring average of 71.38 strokes was the lowest for an opening round in U.S. Open history, besting the 72.29 average in 1993 at Baltusrol. It was also the sixth-lowest in major championship history.
In addition, six players posted scores of 65 or better, the most in a single round in U.S. Open history. And for the first time ever, no player shot 80 or higher in the first round of a U.S. Open.
Before Thursday, six players shared the U.S. Open record of 63, the most recent being Tommy Fleetwood at Shinnecock Hills in 2018. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf also shot matching 63s in the first round of the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol.
Xander Schauffele may finally be ready to break through in major
Xander Schauffele is the only player with a top-20 finish in each of the last five majors (finished T-13 at the 2022 PGA Championship, followed by finishing T-14 at the U.S. Open at The Country Club, T-15 at The Open Championship at St. Andrews, T-10 at the 2023 Masters and T-18 at Oak Hill last month).
Like Fowler, Schauffele’s bidding for his first major title, but he knows there is much more work to be done. As reporters interviewed Schauffele’s caddie Austin Kaiser about his historic round, Schauffele stepped in and said to him, “Dude, it’s just Thursday, my man.”
But if either Schauffele or Fowler shoot 67 or lower on Friday, they will also own the 36-hole U.S. Open scoring mark too.
“I’m anticipating the sun to come out just as much as every West Coast person out here,” Schauffele said. “I’m thinking the course is going to firm up a little bit.” — Adam Schupak, Golfweek
Rickie Fowler’s reboot works wonders with record US Open round
Rickie Fowler had less than 30 minutes on Thursday to enjoy sole possession of a U.S. Open record for lowest round when he shot a 62 at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Before the new ink could dry in the record books, Xander Schauffele tied the record with his own round of 62 on the par-70 during the first round of the tournament. But while the two golfers share the record, the moment belonged to Fowler.
His scintillating round marked another step back from a career descent, during which he lost his confidence, lost his way and almost lost his PGA Tour card. — Josh Peter
Rory McIlroy maintains silence after chip shot blunder
The questions keep piling up for Rory McIlroy.
Now at the top of the list: What happened when you whiffed on the chip shot in the rough just off the 18th green on Thursday?
Mum’s the word for McIlroy, the 34-year-old Northern Irishman with four major championships.
It’s unclear if or when answers are coming. McIlroy declined interview requests made through the United States Golf Association Thursday after his 5-under 65 in the first round. — Josh Peter
US Open second round tee times, pairings
All times are Eastern.
Hole 1
- 9:45 a.m. — Ross Fisher, Nico Echavarria, Paul Haley II
- 9:56 a.m. — Nick Dunlap, Nick Hardy, Sam Stevens
- 10:07 a.m. — Taylor Pendrith, Aldrich Potgieter, Romain Langasque
- 10:18 a.m. — Andrew Putnam, Victor Perez, Abraham Ancer
- 10:29 a.m. — Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, Keegan Bradley
- 10:40 a.m. — Mito Pereira, Emiliano Grillo, Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira
- 10:51 a.m. — Tom Kim, Sahith Theegala, Cameron Young
- 11:02 a.m. — Sam Burns, Dustin Johnson, Keith Mitchell
- 11:13 a.m. — Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay
- 11:24 a.m. — Davis Thompson, Min Woo Lee, Justin Suh
- 11:35 a.m. — Taylor Moore, Mackenzie Hughes, Ben Carr
- 11:46 a.m. — Patrick Cover, David Nyfjall, Frankie Capan III
- 11:57 a.m. — Austen Truslow, Christian Cavaliere, Alex Schaake
- 3:15 p.m. — Berry Henson, Ryutaro Nagano, Hank Lebioda
- 3:26 p.m. — Michael Kim, Jordan Smith, Wenyi Ding
- 3:37 p.m. — Scott Stallings, Preston Summerhays, Lucas Herbert
- 3:48 p.m. — Jens Dantorp, Patrick Rodgers, Ryan Armour
- 3:59 p.m. — Thomas Pieters, Aaron Wise, Gordon Sargent
- 4:10 p.m. — Bryson DeChambeau, Francesco Molinari, Tyrrell Hatton
- 4:21 p.m. — Tom Hoge, Sergio Garcia, Sepp Straka
- 4:32 p.m. — Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Jason Day
- 4:43 p.m. — Patrick Reed, Matt Kuchar, Si Woo Kim
- 4:54 p.m. — Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, Jon Rahm
- 5:05 p.m. — Martin Kaymer, Stewart Cink, Michael Thorbjornsen
- 5:16 p.m. — David Horsey, Brendan Valdez, Paul Barjon
- 5:27 p.m. — Jordan Gumberg, Kyle Mueller, Bastien Amat
Hole 10
- 9:45 a.m. — Brent Grant, Vincent Norrman, Charley Hoffman
- 9:56 a.m. — Simon Forsstrom, Carlos Ortiz, Maxwell Moldovan
- 10:07 a.m. — Eric Cole, Thirston Lawrence, Adam Schenk
- 10:18 a.m. — Luke List, Wilco Nienaber, Alejandro Del Rey
- 10:29 a.m. — Adrian Meronk, Harris English, Joaquin Niemann
- 10:40 a.m. — Alex Noren, Wyndham Clark, Austin Eckroat
- 10:51 a.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Cam Davis, Russell Henley
- 11:02 a.m. — Cameron Smith, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Bennett
- 11:13 a.m. — Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, Brian Harman
- 11:24 a.m. — Brooks Koepka, Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy
- 11:35 a.m. — Sebastian Munoz, Nick Taylor, Taylor Montgomery
- 11:46 a.m. — Olin Browne Jr., David Puig, Karl Vilips
- 11:57 a.m. — Corey Pereira, Isaac Simmons, J.J. Grey
- 3:15 p.m. — Omar Morales, Deon Germishuys, Jacob Solomon
- 3:26 p.m. — Ryan Gerard, Yuto Katsuragawa, Michael Brennan
- 3:37 p.m. — Hayden Buckley, Adam Svensson, Pablo Larrazabal
- 3:48 p.m. — Carson Young, Dylan Wu, Roger Sloan
- 3:59 p.m. — Ryo Ishikawa, Kevin Streelman, Matthieu Pavon
- 4:10 p.m. — Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
- 4:21 p.m. — Sungjae Im, K.H. Lee, J.T. Poston
- 4:32 p.m. — Gary Woodland, Adam Scott, Corey Conners
- 4:43 p.m. — Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Scottie Scheffler
- 4:54 p.m. — Denny McCarthy, Joel Dahmen, Adam Hadwin
- 5:05 p.m. — Matthew McClean, Seamus Power, Ryan Fox
- 5:16 p.m. — Mac Meissner, Barclay Brown, Gunn Charoenkul
- 5:27 p.m. — Alexander Yang, Jesse Schutte, Andy Svoboda
2023 US Open golf TV schedule
Coverage starts Friday at 9:40 a.m. ET on the Peacock streaming service. USA Network will continue at 1 p.m.-8 p.m., and then coverage will switch to NBC from 8 p.m.-11 p.m.
How to watch the US Open 2023 via stream
Golfers can be followed on the live stream at USOpen.com and Peacock.
US Open broadcasters
- Play by play: Dan Hicks / Terry Gannon / Steve Sands
- Analysis: Paul Azinger / Brad Faxon / Brandel Chamblee / Morgan Pressel / Paul McGinley / Nick Dougherty
- Tower: Brad Faxon / Curt Byrum / Peter Jacobsen / Steve Sands / Jimmy Roberts
- On-Course: John Wood / Notah Begay III / Smylie Kaufman / Arron Oberholser / Jim Gallagher Jr.
- Interviews: Damon Hack
- Essays: Jimmy Roberts
What is the weather forecast for Los Angeles on Friday?
The forecast calls for temperatures in the low to mid-70s with partly cloudy skies, with the sun possibly breaking through later in the day and light winds.
L.A. Country Club layout
Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, site of the 2023 U.S. Open, was designed by George C. Thomas Jr. and opened in 1928. It was restored by the team of Gil Hanse, Jim Wagner and Geoff Shackelford in 2010.
Situated on a terrific piece of rolling ground and serving as an urban oasis off the busy Wilshire Boulevard, the North Course will play to 7,421 yards with a par of 70 for the U.S. Open. The course features three par 5s and five par 3s, with two of the downhill par 3s playing longer than 280 yards.
Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course ranks No. 2 in California on Golfweek’s Best list of top private clubs in each state, and it is No. 14 on Golfweek’s Best list of top classic courses built in the United States before 1960. — Jason Lusk
LOS ANGELES COUNTRY CLUB: Full course map, yardage book
Is Tiger Woods playing in the US Open?
No. In May, Tiger Woods withdrew from the U.S. Open as he recovers from ankle surgery. Woods will also miss next month’s British Open, according to a report on Friday.
Past US Open winning scores
- 2022: Matt Fitzpatrick: -6, 274 (The Country Club, Brookline, Mass.)
- 2021: Jon Rahm: -6, 278 (Torry Pines Golf Course, La Jolla, Calif.)
- 2020: Bryson DeChambeau: -6, 274 (Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, N.Y.)
- 2019: Gary Woodland: -13, 271 (Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.)
- 2018: Brooks Koepka: +1, 281 (Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Shinnecock Hills, N.Y.)
- 2017: Brooks Koepka: -16, 272 (Erin Hills, Erin, Wis.)
- 2016: Dustin Johnson: -4, 276 (Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pa.)
- 2015: Jordan Spieth: -5, 275 (Chambers Bay, University Place, Wash.)
- 2014: Martin Kaymer: -9, 271 (Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, N.C.)
- 2013: Justin Rose: +1, 281 (Merion Golf Club, Ardmore, Pa.)
- 2012: Webb Simpson: +1, 281 (The Olympic Club, Daly City, Calif.)
- 2011: Rory McIlroy: -16, 272 (Congressional Country Club, Bethesda, Md.)
- 2010: Graeme McDowell: E, 284 (Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.)
US Open purse 2023
USGA CEO Mike Whan announced a $20 million purse for the 2023 U.S. Open.
US Open payouts 2023
The winner will earn $3.6 million.
