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**Spaun Shines Amidst Oakmont Chaos, Takes U.S. Open Lead**

OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun delivered a remarkably steady performance amidst a wild first round at Oakmont Country Club on Thursday, carding a bogey-free 66 to seize a one-stroke lead at the U.S. Open. The Californian navigated the notoriously challenging course with precision, managing to avoid any dropped shots.

The round was anything but ordinary for others. Patrick Reed made a rare albatross on the par-5 fourth hole, holing out from 286 yards, but later suffered a triple bogey. Shane Lowry carded the first-ever eagle on Oakmont’s par-4 third hole, only to finish with a 79. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled, posting a 73 with more bogeys (5) in a single round than he typically records in an entire tournament.

Spaun, playing in only his second U.S. Open, equaled the lowest opening round in a U.S. Open at Oakmont, matching Andrew Landry’s 66 from 2016. Solid putting proved key, as Spaun sank multiple par putts ranging from seven to 16 feet, in addition to his four birdies.

“I didn’t really feel like I was going to post a bogey-free, four-under round. I really didn’t know what to expect, especially never playing here,” Spaun said. “But, yeah, maybe sometimes not having expectations is the best thing, so I’ll take it.”

Oakmont lived up to its reputation, with scoring averages hovering around 74.6 despite relatively soft conditions due to rain and mild winds. Rory McIlroy, who declined to speak to the media for the fifth consecutive major round since his Masters win, carded a 74. Bryson DeChambeau echoed the sentiments of many, describing the course as “a brutal test of golf” after his own 73.

Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and Carlos Ortiz of Mexico were the top Latin American players, both shooting one-over par and tying for 20th.

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