OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — J.J. Spaun handled the toughest test with a club that never fails any U.S. Open. His putter carried him to a 4-under 66, only the second bogey-free round in the last three U.S. Opens at Oakmont for an early one-shot lead.

Spaun went out in a record 31 and posted just the eighth bogey-free round in U.S. Open history at Oakmont to take the early lead on Thursday.

Unheralded J.J. Spaun outshined the game's top players and led the U.S. Open by one shot after the first round on Thursday at steamy Oakmont Country Club where the big names like Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy all struggled.

LIV Golf superstar Bryson DeChambeau struggled to control his frustration after the USGA's last-minute changes gave him no relief.

The 125th U.S. Open is underway at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. For the 10th time, the world’s best will compete in golf’s toughest challenge on one of the world’s most difficult courses.

Seventy-two holes of struggle await the eventual 2025 U.S. Open winner as Oakmont Country Club is prepared to bare its teeth for a 156-man field all seeking to claim the national championship. The par-70 course is hosting the USGA's signature tournament and the third major championship of the season for a record 10th time with golfers attempting to transverse its difficult landscape for the first time in nine years.