US Open 2023 LIVE: Leaderboard and latest updates from round one as Rickie Fowler shines in Los Angeles
California plays host to the third major of the golfing year as a strong field takes to the course at Los Angeles Country Club for the 2023 US Open this week.
It is the first time in 75 years that the US Open is being played in the city with LA Country Club hosting the event for the first time. A challenging layout is expected for the players with low scores unlikely as the Californian course looks to test the contenders across four demanding rounds.
Brooks Koepka is among the favourites to back up his victory in the US PGA Championship but will face stern competition from the likes of world no.1 Scottie Scheffler and Masters champion Jon Rahm. Rory McIlroy cannot be discounted while Matt Fitzpatrick will be hoping to produce his best golf as he bids to defend his US Open title.
The unexpected news of a merger between the controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series and the PGA Tour only adds to the anticipation though it will be a while before the full ramifications of the merger are realised.
Follow all the action from the 123rd US Open:
US Open 2023
The US Open opening round kicks off at the Los Angeles Country Club
Rory McIlroy (9:54pm) is paired with Brooks Koepka for the opening two rounds
Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick (9:32pm) are all in contention
PGA chief defends Saudi golf deal: If they were ‘involved’ in 9/11 ‘I’ll kill them myself’
Leaderboard: Fowler (-5), Schauffele (-4), Solomon, Gerard, Homa, Fox, Meissner and more (-2)
US Open 2023
19:33 , Mike Jones
Consecutive bogeys for Jacob Solomon and he drops back to two-under. Meanwhile Scottie Scheffler is edging closer to the leader with a fine birdie on the 12th.
US Open 2023
19:24 , Mike Jones
Five for Rickie!
A simple tap-in takes his lead to two shots with the easy third hole still to play. He could finish the day six or seven under par at this rate.
He’s recorded seven birdies in 11 holes.
US Open 2023
19:21 , Mike Jones
Mac Meissner misses the chance to move within one shot of the lead as he slides a birdie putt on nine past the right side of the hole. The greens today have been rapid and a slight misread in pace can leave players in serious trouble.
Meissner’s pace was decent though and he walks away with par.
US Open 2023
19:16 , Mike Jones
Rickie Fowler is about to move to five under par. His approach shot on the second (his 11th hole) is superb. It kisses the edge of the green, skips onto the dancefloor and finishes a couple of feet from the hole to set up birdie.
Fowler is rocketing now. He’s in full flow and looks confident.
US Open 2023
19:13 , Mike Jones
Scottie Scheffler has largely been forgotten about after a difficult start to his round. He was one over after eight holes but back-to-back birdies sees him move into the red.
If he can get a run going then there’ll be a few nervous faces at the top of the leaderboard.
US Open 2023
19:09 , Mike Jones
Rickie Fowler finds the left greenside bunker on the 1st hole but has a nice lie and flicks it close to the hole to set up a birdie chance. His putting has been good all day and he knocks another in to earn a share of the lead!
US Open 2023
19:07 , Mike Jones
Justin Rose has had a shocker on the 18th making a double bogey to compound a tough round into an awful one. He’s now five over par for the day but has time to recover.
Unfortunately his second shot on the 1st flirts with the front of the green but doesn’t quite catch and rolls back down the hill leaving him with a 45 yard chip to set up a birdie opportunity.
US Open 2023
18:58 , Mike Jones
Jacob Solomon reaches four-under!
The 26-year-old American moves into the solo lead with a wonderful birdie on 15. He’s got three holes left in his round today and won’t be too far away from the top of the leaderboard should he avoid any bogeys.
US Open 2023
18:55 , Mike Jones
Jon Rahm has been zig-zagging across the course in this round and bombing shots out of the rough trying to rescue himself. A nice recovery to the 17th green gets him a chance to save par but he just slides one by the left edge and that’s a shot gone.
Max Homa hoping for ‘carnage’ and a ‘typical’ US Open challenge
18:51 , Mike Jones
Max Homa is hoping for “carnage” in the 123rd US Open to ensure his course record remains firmly intact.
Homa shot a stunning nine-under-par 61 at Los Angeles Country Club on his way to winning the prestigious Pac-12 title in 2013, a tournament which also featured two-time major winner Jon Rahm.
To no-one’s surprise, Rahm predicted on Tuesday that typical US Open conditions would ensure there would be no repeat of Homa’s heroics this week, with Branden Grace’s men’s major record of 62 also looking safe.
Max Homa hoping for ‘carnage’ and a ‘typical’ US Open challenge
US Open 2023
18:44 , Mike Jones
Rickie Fowler makes it look easy. He rolls home his birdie putt on the 18th green (his ninth hole) and moves to three-under after the first half of his round.
Over on the front nine Max Homa is making moves. A birdie on eight takes him to -2 before he slides another birdie putt past the right edge on the ninth.
US Open 2023
18:42 , Mike Jones
US Open 2023
18:35 , Mike Jones
Rickie Fowler is back in the game with a birdie chance on nine. His approach is solid and a helpful bounce skips the ball over to the right side of the pin leaving him with a makeable but difficult putt.
US Open 2023
18:32 , Mike Jones
Oh hello, Paul Barjon is quietly going about his business.
He rolls in a third consecutive birdie on the 15th to take a share of the lead and is quickly joined by Gunn Charoenkul who gets a 8 or 9 footer to drop.
There are five players at three under now.
US Open 2023
18:23 , Mike Jones
Rickie Fowler’s time at the top of the leaderboard doesn’t last very long. He swiftly follows up his birdie on 16 with a bogey on the par-four 17th.
He leaves his approach short of the green and can’t convert from 21 feet for par.
US Open 2023
18:15 , Mike Jones
Jon Rahm gets his round back on track by sliding in a 20-footer for birdie on the short 15th to move back under par. There’s also joy for his playing partner Viktor Hovland who drains his birdie putt to move just two over par.
They’re both playing alongside one of the leaders in Xander Schauffele who is making it look easy out there.
He’s in his seventh US Open with no missed cuts and six top-15 finishes.
US Open 2023
18:04 , Mike Jones
Rickie Fowler makes birdie on the seventh! He rolls in a 12 footer, dead straight, to get himself a share of the lead at three under for the day.
Omar Morales, the Mexican amateur, slips back to one-under with another bogey on the back nine.
Scottie Scheffler considers putter change to solve problems ahead of US Open
18:00 , Mike Jones
Changing a key piece of equipment at a major championship, when your worst result of the year is a tie for 12th, would usually seem like madness.
Yet that is the situation in which world number one Scottie Scheffler finds himself at the US Open as he seeks a solution to the putting problems which have plagued his most recent performances.
As well as winning the prestigious Players Championship and defending his title in the WM Phoenix Open in 2023, Scheffler has finished runner-up in the US PGA Championship and third in the Memorial Tournament, despite struggling badly on the greens.
Scottie Scheffler considers putter change to solve problems ahead of US Open
US Open 2023
17:53 , Mike Jones
It should be a worrying sign for the rest of the field that Xander Schauffele is playing this well.
The par-five 14th is 628 yards today and the American almost reaches it in two before his ball rolls off the right edge. A perfect chip shot leaves him with a couple of feet for birdie and Schauffele knocks it in for a share of the lead.
US Open 2023
17:48 , Mike Jones
Dylan Wu closes out his front nine with a par to remain at three-under for the day. He’s gone out in 32 and a good back nine will see him in a fine position ahead of the second round.
US Open 2023
17:44 , Mike Jones
Omar Morales drops at shot on the 11th and slips back into the chasing pack. It’s the first bogey of his round and he’ll need to shake it off quickly to keep himself on course for a superb opening day.
US Open 2023
17:37 , Mike Jones
Rickie Fowler is starting to hit his stride too. A third birdie in five holes sees his impressive start continue as he strides off the 14th green.
He’s within one of the lead.
US Open 2023
17:33 , Mike Jones
Jon Rahm finds the edge of the green on 13 after two shots. He’s got a long putt to the hole with a slight downhill roll and rattles his birdie effort.
As soon as the ball comes off the club Rahm knows he messed up and the ball flies 10-12 feet past the hole.
Jon Rahm looking forward to US Open test that has ‘everything’
17:30 , Mike Jones
Former champion Jon Rahm expects a combination of “fun and kicks in the teeth” as the Los Angeles Country Club prepares to host the 123rd US Open.
Rahm experienced the North Course in a prestigious college event 10 years ago, when world number seven Max Homa set the course record of 61, but most of the field have never tackled it before this week.
The restored 7,423-yard, par-70 layout on Wilshire Boulevard includes a 623-yard par five and two of its five par threes measure almost 300 yards, while even the par-three 15th – which can play as short as 80 yards – poses its own challenges.
Jon Rahm looking forward to US Open test that has ‘everything’
US Open 2023
17:23 , Mike Jones
Jon Rahm has dropped back. He had a putt to hold par on the 12th (his third hole) and trickled a slow shot down the hill. It holds out to the right and dribbles past.
Just behind him on the 10th hole Jacob Solomon picks up a share of the lead with a fine birdie. It’s two in a row for him now and he looks back to his best.
US Open 2023
17:17 , Mike Jones
Tyrell Hatton’s having a tricky day out there. He’s found himself in some shocking positions but has been fighting well to avoid plummeting down the leaderboard.
A wayward tee shot on the 13th flies off into the right rough and despite a nice recovery his putt to save par slides by.
US Open 2023
17:13 , Mike Jones
Movement on the leaderboard!
Jacob Solomon gets back the shot he gave up on the eighth to move within one of the lead. Kevin Streelman is also at two-under with Xander Schauffele alos joining this chasing pack.
Dylan Wu’s impressive start takes a hit with his first bogey and leaves Omar Morales as the outright leader.
US Open 2023
17:07 , Mike Jones
US Open 2023
16:59 , Mike Jones
Three birdies and three pars thru the first six holes for Dylan Wu sees him join Omar Morales at the top of the leaderboard. He’s got a simple technique when it comes to putting.
Line up, step into position then rock the shoulders back and forth with a slight bodily swivel. It’s working this afternoon for the 26-year-old.
US Open 2023
16:56 , Mike Jones
Rahm needs a pair of binoculars to locate the hole on the 11th green as he eyes up a consecutive birdie. He’s miles away from the cup but finds the right pace and leaves it within a foot to tidy up for a par.
Schauffele also knocks in for a three.
US Open 2023
16:54 , Mike Jones
Omar Morales has the solo lead!
The amateur continues to blaze his way into the US Open with an eagle putt on the eighth hole. He starts his putt slightly too straight and pulls the ball underneath the hole which elicits excited sighs of frustration from the onlooking crowd.
It’s a tap in for birdie though and Morales is now down at three-under par.
US Open 2023
16:52 , Mike Jones
Jon Rahm is safely on the green off the tee on 11. He’s got a lengthy putt to come but the Masters champion is getting his round off to an impressive start.
Xander Schauffele also looks to be safely on the green.
US Open 2023
16:50 , Mike Jones
Do you fancy a look at the best shot of the day so far?
It came from Michael Brennan who was over to the back side of the third green, lining up a chip for birdie. Here’s a look at how he played the shot:
BANG! 💥
Michael Brennan of @WakeMGolf with the shot of the day so far! #USOpen pic.twitter.com/gCc3DQyMwj— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 15, 2023
Golf’s shock merger could face multiple legal challenges
16:47 , Mike Jones
Golf’s controversial new partnership is in for an “uncomfortable ride” and may face lengthy and costly legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions, a competition lawyer has said.
The PGA Tour announced last week it was creating a new commercial entity with the DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), a move it said would “unify golf” and which brought an end to a legal dispute between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, a series backed by PIF.
Concerns have already been raised about whether the new deal may fall foul of competition law. The United States Senate has already opened an investigation into it, with Senator Richard Blumenthal writing to PGA Tour chief executive Jay Monahan to say that the PGA Tour’s “sudden and drastic reversal of position concerning LIV Golf” raised “serious questions”.
Golf’s shock merger could face multiple legal challenges – Competition lawyer
US Open 2023
16:43 , Mike Jones
Over on the fifth hole, Dylan Wu looks to improve on his early momentum and take the outright lead.
He’s got a birdie putt from around 20 feet or so. The pace is decent but the ball rolls past the right edge and leaves him with a par.
US Open 2023
16:40 , Mike Jones
There’s more early joy for the Europeans as Francesco Molinari and Shane Lowry both record early birdies to move into the red after three holes.
As the Ryder Cup approaches in September, there’ll be a few players out there wanting to impress and improve their chances of making it into the competition.
US Open 2023
16:37 , Mike Jones
What a putt! Xander Schauffele has a downhill putt for birdie on the 10th green (his first hole). There’s some slight left-to-right movement as he dinks it down the slope but the ball holds it’s line and rolls quite a long way before dropping into the cup.
He joins the many players in the red at one-under.
Can Jon Rahm join him there? Yes, he can!
A fantastic recovery shot from the left side rough leaves the Spaniard with a straight birdie chance about 10ft away and he calmly rolls it home.
US Open 2023
16:30 , Mike Jones
Jon Rahm gets his US Open off to a rocky start with his opening tee shot on the 10th shouting to the crowd over to the left side of the fairway as his ball careens into the rough.
He’s playing alongside Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland this afternoon.
US Open 2023
16:25 , Mike Jones
Mexican amateur, Omar Morales, leads the way in these early stages and is two-under par thru six holes. Joining him at the top of the leaderboard are American’s Jacob Solomon and Dylan Wu.
US Open 2023
16:21 , Mike Jones
Play is already underway in California with one of the favourites to win the tournament, Scottie Scheffler, out on the course.
Jon Rahm is readying to tee off in a few minutes’ time before the big names of Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka get their rounds going later this evening.
US Open 2023
16:19 , Mike Jones
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the 2023 US Open.
Brooks Koepka is among the favourites to back up his victory in the US PGA Championship but will face stern competition from the likes of world no.1 Scottie Scheffler and Masters champion Jon Rahm.
Rory McIlroy cannot be discounted either while Matt Fitzpatrick will be hoping to produce his best golf as he bids to defend his US Open title.
