It started out with sparks, until the sparks fizzled. For a moment, we thought that Collin Morikawa had somehow found a way to cut the dogleg at the first and open his time at The Country Club with a double-eagle ace. Don’t believe us? Here’s the screenshot.

Things did get real soon after, and the “one” was replaced with a “four.” It took him eight more holes, but the two-time major champion did reach the minus-3 figure. Here’s some of that action.

Ultimately, Morikawa would land at 1 under par on the day. Consider this introduction a bonus, sixth thing we learned. We’re happy to send you into the main event, now that the undercard is completed. Have a read of five things we learned on Thursday at the 2022 U.S. Open.

1. Welcome to The Country Club

It’s not an easy ask for golfers to learn the nuances of a golf course in a week’s time. The last time the USGA visited Brookline was in 2013, for the U.S. Amateur. That tournament commemorated the 1913 U.S. Open win by Francis Ouimet, and was won by Matt (then Matthew) Fitzpatrick. Corey Conners made the semifinals, and a few other notables reached match play. The Country Club is not the sort of course that fits a stereotyped model. It is old school, with a restoration by Gil Hanse. It asks the player to move the ball both ways, to resist the urge to chase birdie on every hole, and target a portion of the green that may have nothing to do with the day’s hole location.

The Country Club was not designed by one of the great architects of the day. Willie Campbell does not occupy the same rung in the pantheon as do Travis, Ross, Colt, Mackenzie, and others. In addition, the championship 18 at Brookline is made up of holes from each of three nines. One hole, the wee 11th, hasn’t been used in a national championship since … you guessed it, 1913. It should be a week. Don’t miss it!

Class is in session. ?@Joel_Dahmen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/JvfEvmZWQa

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2022

2. … And there were five

Four golfers reached and preserved a total of three-under par during the morning wave. The part about and preserved is an important one, as getting there and staying there are different elements. Amateur Stewart Hagestad reached the figure on two occasions, but closed his round with four bogeys and a double, to finish three shots north of par. Joining the quartet in the afternoon was MJ Dafue of South Africa.

Of the four, Rory McIlroy’s name was the most famous. The winner last week in Canada looks to win a second US Open title, and complete the Canadian-American Open sweep that not many in history have achieved. McIlroy stood at four-under on the final tee, but made bogey to drop into a tie with David Lingmerth of Sweden, Callum Tarren of England, and Joel Dahmen of the host country.

Roars for Rors!@McIlroyRory is locked in and tied for the #USOpen lead. pic.twitter.com/UkoslfvzlQ

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2022

3. The spirit of Francis Ouimet materialized on Thursday

Travis Vick and Sam Bennett posted even-par 70s on Thursday, to represent the no-pay for play crowd. Vick was even-keeled throughout the day, balancing a pair of bogeys with his birdie duo. Bennett matched him with the same numbers. For amateurs, the tournament before the tournament is a 36-hole affair: make the cut. After that, it’s the chase for the low amateur medal. Raise a glass to these two and their compatriots on the non-professional side. Here’s to many amateurs around for the weekend.

What. A. Start. ?

Rising senior Travis Vick posts an EVEN-par 70 in his opening round at @usopengolf !!!

Currently tied for 27th on the leaderboard as the afternoon wave is on the course.#TakeDeadAim | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/zy0HsHNWZT

— Texas Men's Golf (@TexasMGolf) June 16, 2022

4. Your first-round leader is Adam Hadwin!

The Canadian journeyman demonstrated his accuracy by banging a tee shot off a sprinkler head, with the run-out adding up to 336 yards. Before that happened, he had quite a bit more going on. After making bogey at the immense, 490-yard 3rd, Hadwin reeled in five birdies in a six-hole stretch, to reach four-under par. On the inward half, Hadwin made a second bogey at the 12th hole (470-yard par four, FWIW) and then returned to four-deep with birdie at the 13th. Hadwin still has 54 holes ahead of him, but it’s never too early to dream about joining countryman Mike Weir as Canadian winners of major titles.

Well, that's one way to hit it 336. ????@ahadwingolf | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/okeHSYPZDa

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2022

5. We never thought that

Matt Fitzpatrick would be in the mix at Brookline. The odds of the 2013 U.S. Amateur champion surfacing nearly a decade later were astronomical, and not in his favor. The Englishman made birdie at 5, 8, and 9 to reach three under par. The back nine was a bit more chaotic. Three bogeys were joined by two birdies, including one at the diabolical 18th, to drop him to minus-two. Our thinking is, Fitz should enlist younger brother Alex to loop for the next three rounds. After all, Alex was Eddie Lowery to Matt’s Francis Ouimet in 2013. No reason to not reprise the roles.

A timely 3?? for @MattFitz94 at the 17th hole. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/eUg73efE5P

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2022