Los Angeles Country Club’s North course entered the top echelon of golf competition in 2017, when the Walker Cup took place over the George Thomas layout. Today, the course was on full display for the entirety of golf fandom when the first round of the 2023 men’s US Open teed off. Everything that Thomas created, and Gil Hanse and Cavemen restored, exceeded the expectations laid down by journalists, players, and fans.

For architecture purists, it was a glorious day. For scoring purists, not so much. Three statistics provided by the United States Golf Association tell one side of a story: lowest round in Open history; lowest first-round scoring average in Open history, and sixth-lowest, opening-round scoring in major championship history. What does that mean to us? We’ll tell you in a bit, among the Five Things We Learned on Thursday at the US Open. For now, we’ll let former touring professional and current golf course architect Mike Clayton have a say, courtesy of Twitter.

“Two 62s lead the US Open – didn’t think I’d ever say that”. Dan Hicks (I think)
Weiskopf and Nicklaus shot 63s on the first day of the 1980 Open.
43 years and all the equipment progress you’d assume it might’ve moved a shot.

— Mike Clayton (@mikeclaytongolf) June 16, 2023

1. 62 … Say it louder, please … 62!

As mentioned above, before Thursday, 63 was the lowest score ever returned in a men’s US Open. On June 15th, 2023, the needle nudged a bit lower. Rickie Fowler (8th group off 10th tee) and Xander Schauffele (1oth group off 10th tee) teed off in the morning wave, but not so early that the greens were pristine. Fowler had a street fight with the longer, back nine, posting a pair of bogeys against five birdies. For Schauffele, it was a bit more elegant: three birdies and six pars. On their second nines, each had five birdies. For Fowler, three of them came on holes one, two, and three. They finished off a four-birdie streak that began on the 18th green. In Schauffele’s case, the stroke-saves were more spaced out.

If either Fowler or Schauffele believes in historical symmetry, specifically with the case cited above by Clayton, one of them will win this week, while the other will fade away. We certainly don’t believe in such nonsense, and we are hopeful that both will be around to contend on Sunday. For one day, let’s celebrate a pair of historic achievements, and raise a glass to feeling 62.

Records were made to be broken!@RickieFowler and @XSchauffele's historic 62s earned them @Lexus Top Performance of the Day co-honors. #LexusGolf pic.twitter.com/1wOixIfefH

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

2. The chasers

No one would ever claim that a tournament is over on day one, but it’s certainly nice to reside within the same area code as the leaders. Coming in at 64 were Wyndham Clark and Dustin Johnson. They are at different stages of achievement, to be sure. Clark won his first PGA Tour title this spring, by four shots in Charlotte, over Xander Schauffele. Quail Hollow is a major-championship venue, so Clark’s 64 should come as no surprise. Johnson is a two-time, major winner, including this event in 2016, at Oakmont. It’s even less of a surprise to find him near the top of the board. Both Johnson and Clark pegged their golf balls in the one o’clock hour on Thursday, so they should benefit from mild conditions on Friday.

Clark’s opening round was as topsy-turvy as Fowler’s. It included six birdies and an eagle (on his first hole!) against three bogeys. Johnson’s seas were smoother, with one bogey marring an otherwise-flawless card.

An opening 64 would give Wyndham Clark the #USOpen lead…

…in almost every year but this one! pic.twitter.com/Dhpg8RwQae

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

3. And at 65 we have …

Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman. McIlroy needs no introduction, but it is worth noting that he set the US Open championship scoring record in 2011, at Congressional. The soggiest Open in history took place that year, and McIlroy posted 268 to win by eight over Jason Day. That 2011 Open was McIlroy’s first major title, and was followed by three others over the next three years. Harman challenged for the 2017 US Open, held in Wisconsin at Erin Hills. He ultimately finished in a second-place tie, four shots behind Brooks Koepka and even with Hideki Matsuyama.

If not for a bogey at the last, McIlroy would have posted 64. As it was, his early run of birdies (five on the outward nine) were balanced by a back-nine malaise (one birdie and one bogey.) A bit like his major-championship record to date, if you will: early success, followed by an extended dry spell. For Harman, it was a bit worse. He stood six-deep through ten holes, on the same arc as Fowler and Schauffele. Coming home, the lad from Savannah stumbled over a pair of bogeys, adding one more birdie. It will surprise no one to see either or both in contention on Sunday.

Spin it back. Pour it in.

Another birdie for @McIlroyRory moves the 2011 champion to -6. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/YgYDDPMDNH

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 16, 2023

4. The drifters

Tom Kim was everyone’s darling in 2022. 2023 has been a different story. He posted 73 on day one. He’s not out of contention for a weekend stay, but will need to shoot at least four-under on Friday to reach round three. Tyrrell Hatton was in contention last week at the Canadian Open, through 54 holes at least. His final-round doldrums carried through to round one, south of the parallel. Like Kim, a tidy round on day two will see him through to the weekend, where anything can happen.

Last week’s playoff combatants tied again, a 72. Tommy Fleetwood, and especially, Nick Taylor, can be forgiven for the toll that contention takes on a body and a psyche. Both should produce a 67 over the second 18, to secure a spot below the cut line. Two-over was a popular number for semi-favorites. Shane Lowry, Cameron Young, Jordan Spieth, and Hideki Matsuyama all posted that score, and each had to be a bit frustrated by an inability to score over a course that offered ample opportunity.

Count it ?

An opening birdie for @ShaneLowryGolf. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/cY0njIlQ8h

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 15, 2023

5. The golf course Ins and Outs

In round one, at least, Los Angeles North proved to be friendly to strangers. Only seven of the 37 golfers under par have a major championship to their credit. In addition to the aforementioned duo, only Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, Scottie Scheffler, and Bryson DeChambeau reached red figures. Los Angeles North is an unknown commodity, and how she changes on a daily basis, is even more mysterious. Barrancas line and cross fairways, bunker edges and depths remind golfers of the Australian sandbelt, and greens welcome and reject all kinds of shots. Patience and creativity (as seen below) are the order of the week. Sure, we had some low numbers on Thursday, but wait until the tournament committee cuts elusive hole locations on firmer greens, as the week wears on. We’ll see a different golf course over the next three days, and tell a different story on Friday evening.

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