Live updates, highlights, scores, how to watch

Play is officially underway at the 123rd U.S. Open, which is taking place at the Los Angeles Country Club in California. It’s the first time the venue has hosted the championship.

It’s also the first major tournament since the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf announced a partnership, and it is sure to be a topic of conversation throughout the weekend. One of the more intriguing storylines is the groupings, one of which features PGA Championship winner and LIV golfer Brooks Koepka with Rory McIlroy, who has been one of the most vocal critics of LIV.

USA TODAY Sports will bring you the latest news, updates, highlights and more throughout Thursday’s opening round. Follow along.

Scottie Scheffler hits back-to-back birdies

Scottie Scheffler hit back-to-back birdies on Thursday to put him at -4, which places him third overall.

Live Leaderboard: US Open Tournament Scores, Schedules, Pairings and More

Brooks Koepka tee time today

Brooks Koepka tees off at 4:54 p.m. ET. Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama are also in the group.

Rickie Fowler extends lead with ninth birdie, but Americans on his heels

Fowler took the lead early Thursday and he is keeping his foot on the gas. He extended his lead to 7-under par with a birdie on hole No. 6, his ninth birdie of the day as he closes out his impressive first round.

The birdie put Fowler two strokes ahead of the competition, but not for long. Fellow American Xander Schauffele cut into Fowler’s lead after sinking a birdie on hole No. 5. Schauffele is in second place at 6-under. Americans Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau are tied for third place at 3-under.

France’s Matthieu Pavon records 2023 U.S. Open’s first hole-in-one

The par-3 15th hole at the Los Angeles Country Club drew considerable attention before this year’s U.S. Open began because it was set to become the shortest hole in major championship history. Could an ace (or more) be in the works?

That question was answered early in Thursday’s opening round when France’s Matthieu Pavon sent his tee shot on the 124-yard hole spinning back into the cup.

The hole-in-one put Pavon at even par with three holes to play in his opening round.

Rickie Fowler surges into U.S. Open lead

A rapid turn of events propelled Rickie Fowler ahead of the pack as he made the turn in his opening round. Fowler tapped in his third birdie in a row and seventh of the day on the 485-yard, par 4 second hole to move to 5-under par for the tournament. That gave him a two-shot lead through 11 holes.

Jacob Solomon had just grabbed the outright lead with a birdie on the short par-3 15th, but he gave the shot right back on 16 with a bogey to drop him one shot behind Fowler.

But Fowler nailed his approach from 171 yards to just about a foot from the cut on No. 2 to complete the two-shot swing. Shortly after Fowler’s birdie, however, Xander Schauffele rolled in one of his own to move to 4-under through 10 holes.

Xander Schauffele takes aim at top of leaderboard

Ranked No. 6 in the world, Xander Schauffele is no stranger to being in contention for a major title. The 29-year-old California native has twice tied for second place (2019 Masters, 2018 British Open) and also tied for third (2021 Masters) … putting him on a short list of the best active golfers yet to win a major.

Starting his opening round on No. 10 at the Los Angeles Country Club, Schauffele recorded three birdies and no bogeys on his opening nine to get within one stroke of leader Jacob Solomon.

That put him in a four-way tie with Ryan Gerard (through 15), Dylan Wu (through 13) and Rickie Fowler (through nine).

Solomon was in the first group off the tee this morning, along with amateur Omar Morales. The two have set a sizzling pace with each grabbing the lead at different times in the early going.

Hole No. 3 yielding both greenside highlights, lowlights

Many of the participants in this year’s U.S. Open had never played the Los Angeles Country Club before they arrived this week. So the course’s danger spots could pop up in some surprising ways.

Take, for example, Canadian Adam Svensson. Hitting out of a bunker on No. 3, Svensson flew the green, but his ball had so much spin it ended up rolling back down the slope to the front fringe.

Svensson ended up with a bogey on the hole.

On the other hand, Wake Forest golfer Michael Brennan showed some serious imagination when he found himself with a tricky lie on the same hole. But unlike Svensson, his chip shot rolled into the cup for a birdie.

Youth is serving well on front nine

The youth infusion of the PGA Tour is showing during the early holes of the U.S. Open.

Jacob Solomon, 23, and 26-year-old Dylan Wu are at the top of the leaderboard at 3-under along with Xander Schauffele as they make the turn to the second nine in Thursday’s opening round. And Omar Morales, a 20-year-old amateur, is one shot off the lead after he bogeyed at 11th hole.

Solomon, who went to Auburn University, is currently ranked No. 737 in the world.

Amateur Omar Morales taking advantage of par 5s to grab early lead

Amateur Omar Morales is making the most of his opportunities on the long par 5s during his first round, birdieing both the first hole, measured at 594 yards, and the 537-yard No. 8. Morales, 20, finished the front nine tied for the lead at 3-under par with Dylan Wu, whose best showing at a major is finishing tied for 31st at the 2021 U.S. Open.

Some other notables: Francesco Molinari, Shane Lowry, Xander Schauffele, Rickie Fowler and 2020 winner Bryson DeChambeau are all at 1-under. 2021 winner Jon Rahm is even through four holes and World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is at 1-over through four.

Logjam atop U.S. Open leaderboard through first few holes

Dylan Wu, Omar Morales and Jacob Solomon find themselves at the top of the leaderboard early at 2-under.

But early on, 10 players have found themselves under par, including amateurs Morales and Michael Brennan. For those teeing off on the par 5 1st, that and the par 4 3rd hole are where most golfers are earning their early scores.

Michael Kim, Scott Stallings, and 2018 British Open champion Francesco Molinari started their first round on the 10th and birdied that hole as well.

2023 U.S. Open golf TV schedule

Coverage starts Thursday 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 U.S. Open 2023

Golfers can be followed on the live stream at USOpen.com and Peacock.

Meet the amateurs playing in the 2023 U.S. Open

It’s no surprise to see amateurs in the field at major championships. Yet at the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club’s North Course, more than 10% of the field will be amateurs.

Among the 19 amateurs who will tee it up this week in Los Angeles, only three weren’t on a college golf team this spring or, in the case of Wenyi Ding, will be on campus come this fall. College golf has never been stronger, and it shows in the number of golfers who played their way into the field.

Here’s a look at the amateurs competing at the 2023 U.S. Open. — Cameron Jourdan

U.S. 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

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