I Dig Sports
Following the drama of recent weeks at the China and Hong Kong Opens, it is shaping up to be equally exciting in Sapporo for the Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum, LION Japan Open, which reaches its climax on Sunday 16 June.
THRILLS AND SPILLS
One year on from his famous victory on home soil, Tomokazu HARIMOTO (JPN) surrendered his Japan Open crown with a shock defeat in straight games to world-ranked 599, SUN Wen (CHN) (8-11, 5-11, 7-11, 8-11). Few could have predicted that the 15-year-old talent and world #4 would fail to make the last 16 in front of his Japanese fans.
Just one hour later, it was the turn of the 2018 Japan Open Women’s Singles champion and world #7 Mima ITO (JPN) to crash out of the event after losing 4-2 to #56 GU Yuting (CHN) (11-7, 7-11, 8-11, 9-11, 14-12, 10-12).
A flurry of upsets on Friday also saw women’s world #4 ZHU Yuling (CHN) beaten 4-1 by #39 Miyu NAGASAKI (JPN) and #8 CHENG I-Ching (TPE) eliminated by #353 LIU Fei (CHN).
Meanwhile men’s world #83 Ruwen FILUS (GER) came from two games down to knock out #17 WONG Chun Ting (HKG) 4-2, as world #49 Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA (JPN) defeated compatriot and #10 Koki NIWA by the same scoreline.
THE PATH TO GLORY
Men’s world #1 FAN Zhendong (CHN) is in line to meet world champion and #5 MA Long (CHN) in what would be another epic quarter-final clash. MA’s victory at the China Open saw him set a new record for career ITTF World Tour Men’s Singles titles (28). Can ‘The Dragon’ make it 29 in Japan?
Meanwhile #3 XU Xin could face the winner between Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (GER) and JANG Woojin (KOR) in the final eight. On the other side of the men’s draw, #2 LIN Gaoyuan (CHN) would most likely be drawn up against Hugo CALDERANO (BRA) and then LIANG Jingkun (CHN) as he bids to reach yet another ITTF World Tour final.
In the Women’s Singles competition, the most likely semi-final match-ups would pit world #1 CHEN Meng (CHN) against #5 WANG Manyu (CHN), and world champion and #2 LIU Shiwen (CHN) against #3 DING Ning (CHN).
THREE WEEKS. THREE WINS?
Mixed Doubles champions at both the China and Hong Kong Opens, LIN Yun-Ju and CHENG I Ching (TPE) will be looking to make it three gold medals in as many weeks at the Japan Open.
Standing in their way in the quarter-finals are home pairing, Mima ITO and Koki NIWA (JPN), while XU Xin is being partnered with ZHU Yuling in Sapporo, as Team China continues to experiment with its Mixed Doubles options ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
WHERE TO FOLLOW THE ACTION…
Stay tuned on all the action from Sapporo by following the links:
Budapest and beyond: the World Table Tennis Championships legacy
The incredible memories made in Budapest this April will live on forever, the blockbuster action and drama on display capturing the imagination of sports fans across the world.
Now the success of the Liebherr 2019 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships is being harnessed and used to ensure that all future World Championships events will be just as unforgettable.
Setting a long-lasting legacy for the World Championships was the subject of this week’s meetings between the ITTF and the HTTA, whereby HTTA President Roland Nátrán and HTTA Secretary General Gabor Felegyi spent two days at the ITTF’s Singapore Office to give a full report on how to make table tennis’ biggest event even greater.
This was the first time that the ITTF, with the new Competition and Marketing Departments in place, to organise a World Championships debrief as part of the ITTF’s new professional approach to the events.
ITTF Deputy President, Khalil Al Mohannadi, was present at the meetings and expressed his delight at the proactive approach taken by the ITTF and the local organising committee to ensure that future World Championships will also be a huge success.
“This is the very first time that we held a face-to-face debrief with the local organising committee of a World Championships event. I think it’s a positive step to improve the organisation of our events, which is a key target for the next World Championships in 2020 in Busan, Korea Republic, as we continue to professionalise the sport and progress towards the revolutionary, new competition format from 2021 in Houston, United States.”
ITTF Deputy President, Khalil Al Mohannadi
“Since table tennis, as a global sport, develops rapidly and acquires hundreds of millions of spectators’ attention all around the world, we have to evaluate the 2019 World Championships in Budapest in the most professional way possible. We deeply scrutinised the experiences gained, both on a professional and policy level. It was an honour for me to exchange views with the highest-level professionals and policy makers at the ITTF in Singapore.”
HTTA President, Roland Nátrán
“From the very beginning of our “journey” to the delivery of the event it has been a great pleasure for all professional staff in the ITTF to work with a full team of professionals in each of the key areas, led by Mr. Roland Nátrán and Mr. Gabor Felegyi. The cooperation with the LOC was smooth throughout all phases and we felt it was important to keep the momentum with the planning of this debrief, whilst the experience was fresh for both sides. It was a great opportunity to exchange experiences and views on how the ITTF and the LOCs can work in a better model and synergy in the future for delivering world-class events that table tennis deserves to have.”
ITTF Competition Director, Vicky Eleftheriade
Stephen Larkham: Munster recruit ex-Australia fly-half as new senior coach
Australian World Cup-winner Stephen Larkham has agreed to join Munster as their new senior coach until 2022.
The 45-year-old is the latest high-profile addition to Johann van Graan's backroom team following the appointment of ex-England coach Graham Rowntree.
The ex-Australia attack coach succeeds former Ireland full-back Felix Jones.
Munster are rebuilding their backroom team after Jones and forwards coach Jerry Flannery both declined offers to extend their contracts last season.
Larkham, who won 102 caps for Australia, has signed a three-year contract and will join the province in August, subject to gaining a work permit, where he will work alongside Van Graan, Rowntree and defence coach JP Ferreira.
"I have had a number of conversations with Johann and I'm very excited to be working with him, as our views on rugby are very similar," said Larkham, who won the 1999 World Cup with the Wallabies.
"I'm also looking forward to meeting and working with not only the other coaches in Graham and JP but also the very talented group of players that Munster have."
Acting Munster Rugby chief executive Philip Quinn added: "Stephen is a very successful coach who had offers from other clubs so we are delighted that he has decided to join Munster.
"It has been our intention to recruit one more member for our coaching ticket and we will evaluate our needs prior to progressing with that process."
Larkham's coaching career began at the Brumbies in 2011.
The former Australia fly-half became head coach at the Super Rugby side after three years before departing in 2017 to work full-time for governing body Rugby Australia.
He was sacked as Australia attack coach in February, saying at the time that he and head coach Michael Cheika fundamentally disagreed on the "overall game philosophy".
He remained with Rugby Australia, focusing on coach mentoring, coaching and skills development across the Australian sevens program, Junior Wallabies, State Under-20s academies and the Australian women's team the Wallaroos.
DODGE CITY, Kan. — The opening leg of the third annual Lubbock Wrecker Service DCRP 305 Sprint Car Nationals picked up right where the 2018 edition left off with a pair of Jakes slugging it out for the Thursday night feature at Dodge City Raceway Park.
This time, Jake Bubak turned the tables on defending event champion Jake Martens, battling into the lead on the 17th round and racing on to the stripe aboard the Dubose/Well-powered Coyote Candle Company No. 74b Maxim ahead of Nebraska resident Jason Martin and Martens.
“I feel like we got one taken away from us last year, we’re here to win the whole thing this time,” Bubak said after putting himself atop the point charts and in prime position to secure a lock-in position to Saturday’s $3,000-to-win finale.
With Bubak pulling the eight in the redraw to start the 25-lap feature outside the fourth row, Martens and Oklahoma City’s Tanner Conn led the way to the green flag.
Martens gunned into the early lead ahead of Conn with defending track champion Steven Richardson working past Jed Werner for third in the opening handful of laps. Richardson moved in to challenge Conn for second, only to have the right rear wheel come off getting into turn three on the 11th round. Richardson took a tumble that drew the night’s lone red flag but was able to walk away.
Conn went to work on Martens for the lead on the restart and used the high side to take command exiting turn two on the 13th circuit, only to have the move negated by Andy Shouse’s turn four caution.
Conn stumbled on the ensuing restart, losing several positions with Bubak taking over second. Bubak went to work on Martens in short order with the duo swapping the point on the 16th round before Bubak took over for keeps one lap later.
“I was able to find the top early and got going,” Bubak said. “Jake (Martens) was working the bottom really well, I couldn’t make it stick down there so I just used the top.”
After starting 13th, Jason Martin battled past Martens for second on the 21st round with Martens surviving a tap with the turn two wall to hold off Steven Shebester for third. Shebester was fourth with Jed Werner rounding out the top five.
While Bubak snared sprint car honors over a field of 42 entries, Bucklin’s Reagan Sellard held off Tathan Burkhart to capture his second IMCA Hobby Stock feature win in a row.
The finish:
Feature (25 laps): 1. 74b-Jake Bubak (8), 2. 5x-Jason Martin (13), 3. 48-Jake Martens (1), 4. 16s-Steven Shebester (5), 5. 50-Jed Werner (4), 6. 21x-Taylor Velasquez (12), 7. 49x-Luke Cranston (11), 8. 2J-Zach Blurton (6), 9. 11x-Tony Bruce, Jr. (21), 10. 78-Tanner Conn (2), 11. 45d-David Luckie (17), 12. 97-Brian Herbert (7), 13. 911-Ty Williams (10), 14. 55b-Brandon Anderson (19), 15. 33-Koby Walters (15), 16. 72-Ray Seemann (9), 17. 28-Tracey Hill (20), 18. 45x-Kyler Johnson (22), 19. 224-Aric Sooter (18), 20. 12-Bob Schaeffer (14), 21. 27-Andy Shouse (16), 22. 0-Steven Richardson (3).
ELDON, Iowa — Dominic Scelzi had no peer in his first trip to the Eldon Raceway.
The Fresno, Calif., driver was able to sweep his heat the dash and the feature to take home the $1,500 prize in claiming his third career Sprint Invaders win.
A strange night saw two former series champions eliminated in preliminary action. Both defending champion, Cody Wehrle, and three-time titlist, Jon Agan, flipped hard in a heat race and the dash, respectively.
Chris Martin led early in the 25-lap main event over Scelzi and Jake Blackhurst. Austin McCarl shot around Blackhurst on lap two for third. A red flew on lap three, with an incident involving Dustin Selvage, Harold Pohren and John Schulz. Pohren would be done.
The red proved to be the only stoppage. When the green flew, Scelzi dogged the leader, until passing him on lap five. Mason Daniel was working his way forward, and claimed fourth from Blackhurst on lap nine. While Scelzi took off from the field, a dogfight between Martin, McCarl and Daniel ensued for second, third and fourth.
Daniel traded third twice with McCarl. McCarl moved up to second with five to go. Daniel went from fourth to third on lap 21, and then took second from McCarl a lap later. The “Super Half-mile” was fast, and yielded multiple grooves.
Scelzi’s win came ahead of Daniel, McCarl, Chris Martin and Jamie Ball. Blackhurst, Dustin Clark, Selvage, Josh Higday and Daniel Bergquist.
“Some of the lapped cars…it was tough to judge where they were going,” said Scelzi. “First and foremost, this racetrack was amazing. The track prep was absolutely perfect. We were about touching the wall on top and you could still run the bottom. Hat’s off to the track prep. This place was a blast to race on. This car was perfect. I knew from the first lap that I felt really strong. We got our wing back, and got better as the race went on. I think we’re three for three now on Sprint Invaders wins, so that’s pretty cool. The Sprint Invaders are fun to race with, and I’ve become friends with some of them. I always enjoy racing with them.”
“Starting seventh, it took me a while to get to fourth,” said Daniel. “I saw McCarl and (Blackhurst) battling it out. I got to watch it all and make my moves on the top and bottom. We were able to get to third and I clipped the tire down in one and two. I think I bent the axle a bit…something felt different. That’s when McCarl got back by me for second. The last couple laps, we were able to go on the bottom and use lapped traffic to get back by him. Danny (Lasoski) had the car set up well. We were able to go anywhere on the track we wanted.”
The finish:
Feature (25 laps): 1. 41s, Dominic Scelzi, Fresno, CA (4) 2. 33m, Mason Daniel, Springfield, CA (7) 3. 17A, Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA (6) 4. 44, Chris Martin, Ankeny, IA (1) 5. 5J, Jamie Ball, Knoxville, IA (10) 6. 50, Jake Blackhurst, Hanna City, IL (2) 7. 16, Dustin Clark, Agency, IA (5) 8. 88, Dustin Selvage, Indianola, IA (9) 9. 35, Josh Higday, Des Moines, IA (13) 10. 9, Daniel Bergquist, Burlington, IA (12) 11. 69, Justin Buchholz, Davenport, IA (15) 12. 11, Colton Fisher, Mediapolis, IA (8) 13. 81, Tanner Gebhardt, Burlington, IA (16) 14. 13, Brayden Gaylord, Wever, IA (14) 15. 11c, Mason Campbell, New Berlin, IL (17) 16. 99, John Schulz, West Burlington, IA (18) 17. 50P, Harold Pohren, Lowell, IA (11) 18. 01, Travis Pence, Stronghurst, IL (19) 19. 27, Carson McCarl, Altoona, IA (20) 20. 14, Randy Martin, California, MO (3) DNS – 4 Jon Agan, Knoxville, IA, 40c, Cody Wehrle, Burlington, IA, 11B, Ben Woods, Newton, IA.
KANKAKEE, Ill. — Kankakee County Speedway hosted the first night of the annual DIRTcar UMP Summer Nationals Hell Tour Thursday night with Illinois racer Brian Shirley coming home the winner of the $5,000-to-win, 40-lap, late model stock car special at the quarter-mile dirt oval.
Kankakee became the opening-night host after the schedule Hell Tour opener at Illinois’ Peoria Speedway was rained out on Wednesday.
Not planning on running the entire Summer Nationals tour, the 38-year-old Shirley, wheeling his Bob Cullen Racing, Thomason Express/Cheap Cars/KBX Graphix/Kid’s Castle Learning Center-sponsored No.3, took the checkered flag with a 1.776-second margin of victory over Frank Heckenast Jr.
Fastest-qualifier Rusty Schlenk finished third, followed by Jason Feger, Ryan Unzicker and Billy Moyer. Bobby Pierce, Mike Spatola, Kevin Weaver and Bob Gardner rounded out the top 10 in the 22-car field.
At the drop of the green flag, Shirley, who hails from Chatham, Ill., and Heckenast raced side by side for a lap or two until Shirley, using the outside groove, moved into the lead. With six laps in the books, Shannon Babb slowed bringing out the race’s first of three yellow caution flags.
On the restart, Shirley set the pace, chased by Schlenk, Heckenast, Spatola and Feger. Having a problem in his heat race, Pierce, who started 16th after winning the B main, was already up to sixth when the caution lights flashed again with 18 laps complete with Babb stopping off of turn four.
Green-flag racing resumed with Shirley showing the way with Heckenast hustling by Schlenk for second. Shirley attempted to build a comfortable lead only to see the final yellow flag fly with 22 circuits complete.
Once green flag racing resumed again, Shirley was on his way to victory, building a full straightaway lead over Heckenast as the race wore down.
“The car drove really well,” said Shirley. “I had a good starting spot. I can’t thank (car owner) Bob Cullen enough. He puts me in great equipment. We’ve already raced forty nights this year.”
The finish:
Brian Shirley, Frank Heckenast Jr., Rusty Schlenk, Jason Feger, Ryan Unzicker, Billy Moyer, Bobby Pierce, Mike Spatola, Kevin Weaver, Bob Gardner, Walker Arthur, Gordy Gundaker, Paul Stubber, Lyle Zanker, David Jaeger, Chuck Hummer, Dennis Erb Jr., Allen Murray, Allen Weisser, Glen Thompson, Shannon Babb, Matt Shannon.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Kyle Bronson battled to retake the lead from Brandon Overton on lap 44 and cruised to his second career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory on Thursday night at Fayetteville Motor Speedway.
With the win, Bronson becomes the 10th different winner this season on the tour. A healthy crowd was on hand for the Dunn-Benson Ford Wayne Gray Sr. Memorial presented by GETSCO.
Trailing Bronson and Overton across the finish line were Tyler Erb, Hudson O’Neal, and Jonathan Davenport. Bronson is also the fifth different winner in the five appearances by Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Fayetteville.
Erb led the first 12 laps of the race until Davenport forged ahead on the thirteenth circuit. Davenport held the lead over Bronson until lap 31 when Bronson took over the point. Overton led one lap until Bronson raced back around him for good with six laps remaining.
It was a big week for Bronson as he celebrated his 29th birthday on Tuesday and picked up the victory in his first-ever appearance at Fayetteville.
“I have had a really good car the last few months, but we don’t have the results to show for it,” Bronson said. “With all the bad luck we have had, we showed how fast of a car we have tonight. I let JD [Davenport] get the lead and I was kicking myself about how I let him by.”
Overton in the Rum Rummer Racing, Rocket Chassis finished second as he and his team were competing with heavy hearts after the passing of crew member Billy Vacek.
“It’s been a tough week with Billy’s passing. I am going to try so hard like I did tonight to get a win for him this weekend,” Overton said. “Our hats are off to Kyle for the win. I led a lap and then he got back around me. He [Bronson] did a really good job. I really wanted to get that win for Billy. I guarantee you the fans got their money’s worth tonight. I am looking forward to Cherokee tomorrow night.”
Erb continued a string of impressive runs with his third-place finish.
“We got the lead early, but the more the race went on, the crazier it got,” Erb said. “Kyle did a good job, especially on the restarts. I think we were about three-wide for a second. We finished and I don’t know how. We have two more nights of racing so we have to work on it some more to get this car better. Congrats to Kyle, he is one of my best buddies, we travel up and down the road together and I am really happy for him.”
The finish:
Kyle Bronson, Brandon Overton, Tyler Erb, Hudson O’Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Josh Richards, Devin Moran, Dustin Mitchell, Jimmy Owens, Michael Brown, Earl Pearson Jr., Shanon Buckingham, Billy Moyer Jr., Don O’Neal, Tim McCreadie, James Parker, Stormy Scott, Chris Ferguson, Daulton Wilson, Donald Bradsher, Billy Greenhill, Dale Arnold, Willie Milliken, Scott Bloomquist.
BROWNSTOWN, Ill. — As the sixth annual Illinois Speed Week kicked off on Thursday night at Fayette County Speedway, with Logan Seavey continuing his dominance of POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League competition.
Leading all 30 laps, Seavey drove a flawless race and took the Keith Kunz Motorsports, Mobil 1, Spike/Toyota No. 67 to victory lane for the fifth time in eight races.
Earning high point man honors with an eighth-to-second heat race bid, Seavey quickly outdueled KKM teammate Holley Hollan into turn one and assumed the race lead.
Early on, it looked as if an RMS Racing attack was in store as teammates Thomas Meseraull aboard the No. 7x and Michael Pickens in the No. 1nz stormed into second and third as they began swapping sliders.
Meseraull was able to throw a slight challenge towards Seavey for the lead, but a caution with nine laps down set a wild four-way fight for the runner-up spot.
Going back to green, Zach Daum momentarily snuck into second and brought Tanner Thorson, who started 11th, with him, making the battle for second between Daum, Thorson, Meseraull and Pickens.
Throttling around the outside, Thorson gunned the Walker Filters No. 98 into second and around Daum prior to the halfway point. Taking advantage of a restart, Thorson chunked a slider towards Seavey with the top spot up for grabs, but Seavey was well-prepared, mashing the gash and driving around the outside to maintain control.
From there, Seavey commanded the field with ease as he worked the high line into lapped traffic and stretched his lead over Thorson. Throughout the closing laps, all eyes turned to Jesse Colwell and Jerry Coons Jr., who were locked in a side-by-side affair with the final podium position up for grabs.
Seavey finished off a wire-to-wire victory.
“This was just really my style of race track with a big cushion and a little bottom,” said Seavey. “We were banging the fence down in turn four and especially on exit it gets real tricky with a big curb and you’re trying to not fall off the track. I was nervous with all of those restarts, but I know once I got this thing going around the top that we would be fine.”
Driving from 11th-to-second, Tanner Thorson offered a stellar run through the pack as he snagged runner-up honors aboard the Walker Filters, Spike/Toyota No. 98.
Jesse Colwell completed a Keith Kunz Motorsports podium sweep as he placed the KKM Classic, Spike/Toyota No. 71 in third place.
Jerry Coons Jr. and Ethan Mitchell, who started 20th, rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 67-Logan Seavey (1); 2. 98-Tanner Thorson (11); 3. 71-Jesse Colwell (5); 4. 25-Jerry Coons Jr. (13); 5. 19M-Ethan Mitchell (20); 6. 1NZ-Michael Pickens (6); 7. 7X-Thomas Meseraull (4); 8. 71K-Tanner Carrick (15); 9. 08-Cannon McIntosh (7); 10. 5D-Zach Daum (3); 11. 27-Tucker Klaasmeyer (8); 12. 17-Austin Brown (12); 13. 67K-Holley Hollan (2); 14. 42-Hank Davis (14); 15. 97K-Jesse Love (18); 16. 3N-Jake Neuman (16); 17. 8M-Kade Morton (23); 18. 28-Ace McCarthy (17); 19. 72-Sam Johnson (21); 20. 9-Daison Pursley (9); 21. 4D-Robert Dalby (19); 22. 22-Andy Malpocker (10); 23. 35-Sterling Cling (22).
Best of the rest: Bryson's 'neurological damage' highlights Round 1
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – As it usually is, the spotlight was on names such as Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka on Day 1 of the U.S. Open. But plenty of players who came into Pebble Beach flying under the radar put red numbers on the board on Thursday and are in a good position through 18 holes at the year’s third major.
• Aaron Wise’s upward trajectory continued on Thursday at the U.S. Open, where he sits in a share of second place with Rickie Fowler, Louis Oosthuizen and Xander Schauffele after his round of 5-under 66.
Wise, 22, may be a somewhat of a surprise to casual golf fans, but he has some big wins in his short career, including the 2016 individual title as an Oregon Duck and a breakthrough PGA Tour victory at last year’s AT&T Byron Nelson en route to being named the 2018 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.
"Winning is kind of a habit. Everything in life is kind of a habit. And you want to make winning one of those habits, especially being as competitive as I am," Wise said.
• Louis Oosthuizen finished T-2 at the 2015 U.S. Open, and he put himself in position to do one better here at Pebble Beach after an opening 5-under 66 that puts him one off the lead through 18 holes.
The 36-year-old had been marred in a slump until breaking through for his first victory in three years at the South African Open in December, and has a chance to return to major glory for the first time since the 2010 Open Championship.
“To be able to win a U.S. Open would be very magical to me. It would be I think something that anyone can dream of winning an Open and the U.S. Open,” Oosthuizen said. “I think Pebble to me is probably one of my favorite, if not the -- my favorite venue for a U.S. Open.”
• Scott Piercy only got into the U.S. Open last week as part of the top 60 in the word (No. 59) exemption, but he’s making the most of his opportunity so far. Piercy, who finished T-2 at the U.S. Open in 2016, sits one two off the lead after shooting a 4-under 67 that he said he’d take “every time.”
Had he not gotten in, Piercy’s other plans didn’t sound too bad … “There would be an indentation in the couch,” he joked after his round.
• Bryson DeChambeau, 25, has four wins in his young PGA Tour career, but he's the first to admit he has had issues with the game mentally, and he said as much on Thursday after an opening 69 that left him four shots off the lead.
"I was coming back off of a lot of neurological damage that I've had from just hitting bad shots and not doing the right things with my swing and just going down rabbit holes that weren't really pretty," said DeChambeau. "It's going to create some neurological damage there for me. And I'm trying to get over that as of right now. I'm doing a pretty good job so far. Today is the best I've felt in a long time."
DeChambeau's best finish in a major is a T-15 at the 2015 U.S. Open. He's in a spot to improve upon that through 18 holes at Pebble Beach.
• Francesco Molinari had been on an extraordinary roll before collapsing at the Masters and eventually losing to Tiger Woods, but his opening 3-under 68 puts him in the mix to get back on the major train.
The reigning Champion Golfer of the Year had it going early, birdieing three of his first seven holes, including the iconic par-3 seventh, and although he cooled off on the backside, he was able to close his round with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole.
• Jon Rahm’s last six major finishes look like this: 4th-MC-MC-T4-T9-MC. So it’s a good sign for his chances that Rahm started the U.S. Open with a 2-under 69. Rahm, 24, likes the course setup, so it could bode well for his chances at a first major title this week.
“I think it's about as good as a U.S. Open setup as I've seen for a first round,” he said.
• Graeme McDowell didn't win the U.S. Open on Day 1, but he certainly didn't lose it. The 2010 U.S. Open champion here at Pebble Beach carded a 2-under 69 on Thursday and he provided the story of the day afterward, telling reporters about Tuesday night's champions' dinner.
"I think the best story for me was just kind of at the end of dinner, Jack [Nicklaus] and Tom Watson got up and told some stories, and Jack pretty much took the microphone around to every table and - bullied is the wrong word, but forcefully asked players to stand up and tell some stories," McDowell said. "And let's just say Tiger was the first guy that got picked on by Jack, and it was like: You, up. You know, it was just Jack, you know, taking his position as the greatest in the game. Certainly it inspirational. It was really cool to sit there. And for me, just as I get a bit older, looking around and feeling part of that special fraternity and the players that you're surrounded by, it's brings - it quantifies what it is to win the U.S. Open trophy."
• Viktor Hovland picked up right where he left off from his U.S. Amateur victory at Pebble Beach last August.
The 21-year-old Oklahoma State product, playing in his last tournament as an amateur, birdied four of his first six holes to move within a shot of the U.S. Open lead. Despite a double bogey at the par-4 eighth and two more bogeys, Hovland managed to finish strong, as well, making birdie on each of his last two holes and shooting 2-under 69 to tie playing competitor and two-time reigning U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka.
“I don't feel like I had my best stuff,” said Hovland, who is trying to become the first amateur to win the U.S. Open since Johnny Goodman in 1933. “I'm not hitting it quite where I want to and how I want to, so that really gives me a lot of comfort knowing that I can hang with the best in the world with not quite my best stuff.”
Alongside Tiger, Rose matches his 65 from 2000 to lead U.S. Open
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Justin Rose played alongside Tiger Woods, and then joined him in the U.S. Open record book at Pebble Beach.
In a gentle start to the toughest test in golf, Rose birdied his last three holes Thursday for a 6-under 65, giving him a one-shot lead on a day so accommodating that more than three dozen players broke par.
It was an ideal start for Rose and for the USGA, which wants a smooth ride after four years of various mishaps in the U.S. Open. The idea was to start safe and make the course progressively more difficult, and a forecast of dry weather for the week should make that easier to control.
This was the day to take advantage, especially with a cool, overcast sky for most of the day.
Rose knew what was at stake when he blasted out of a bunker short of the par-5 18th to about 12 feet. He was watching the telecast earlier when Rickie Fowler had a birdie putt for a 65 to tie the lowest U.S. Open round at Pebble Beach, set by Woods in the first round of his record-setting victory in 2000.
''I was thinking, 'This would be kind of cool doing it front of the great man himself,''' Rose said.
He lightly pumped his fist, partly for the record, mainly for the best start.
Fowler had to settle for a 66, tied with Aaron Wise and two others who had big finishes. Xander Schauffele caught a break when his tee shot on the 18th caromed off the rock edge of the left fairway, setting up a 12-foot eagle. Louis Oosthuizen finished on No. 9 by holing a bunker shot for a birdie. It felt almost as good as the wedge he holed from 95 yards for eagle on No. 11.
Woods took advantage of the scoring holes with three birdies, but there was one blunder – a tee shot he hooked on the par-3 fifth that smacked off the cart path into gnarly, deep grass some 20 yards behind the edge of the bleachers. He blasted that out beyond the green and made double bogey.
After two straight birdies, he finished with 11 straight pars for a 70.
''Pebble Beach, you have the first seven to get it going, and after that it's a fight,'' Woods said. ''I proved that today. I was trying to just hang in there today. Rosey proved the golf course could be had.''
Two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka proved the opening holes could be had. He was 4 under with his birdie on the par-5 sixth hole and appeared to be on another major mission until a few errant tee shots into nasty rough, a few missed putts and a few bogeys. Even so, he had few complaints about his 69 to begin his bid for a record-tying third straight U.S. Open.
''I didn't shoot myself out of it,'' Koepka said. ''I'm right there. I feel like if I get off tomorrow to a good start, I'm right back into it.''
Phil Mickelson, in another U.S. Open quest to complete the career Grand Slam, didn't feel he was out of it either, despite only two birdies in his round of 1-over 72, which included a 22-inch par putt that he missed.
Woods also had a one-shot lead when he had his opening 65 in 2000, a lead he stretched to six shots after the second round, 10 shots after the third and 15 shots at the end, a record for major championships.
But only 17 players were under par in the first round of 2000. For this U.S. Open, in these relatively soft conditions, 39 players broke par.
Perhaps more telling about the course, and depth of talent compared with two decades ago, there were 17 eagles. That's the most for any round at any U.S. Open, breaking the record of 13 set in 1983 at Oakmont. The eagles included Callum Tarren holing out from a bunker on No. 10, the hardest hole at Pebble, and Rory Sabbatini making a hole-in-one on No. 12.
No one was expecting a breeze the rest of the week.
''It's a very soft start to a U.S. Open, which is a good thing,'' Rory McIlroy said after a 68, his first sub-70 round at the U.S. Open since he won at Congressional in 2011. ''They can do whatever they want with from here. It's not as if you're starting with a course that's in the condition like a Sunday, and then you get three days and it sort of starts to get away from you.''
Scott Piercy, who bogeyed the 18th for a 67, was the first player to get everyone's attention when he was at 5 under through six holes.
Graeme McDowell saw the score when he walked off the 10th green at the start of his round and quipped to his caddie, ''All the USGA radios are going off and they're saying, 'Turn off the water – NOW!'''
McDowell won the last U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in 2010 when it was so difficult he made only one birdie in the final round and no one broke par for the week. Even as he saw low scores on the board – he had a bogey-free 69, one of 27 rounds in the 60s – McDowell feared what was to come for those falling into a comfort zone.
''Careful what you wish for, because I think we're going to see it come the weekend,'' McDowell said.
''I don't think level par wins this week,'' he said. ''Careful what you wish for, because I think we're going to see it come the weekend.''
For one day, Pebble Beach was paradise.
''I wouldn't say it's exhilarating, because I feel like my mindset is I am in a 72-hole tournament,'' Rose said. ''This is just a very small step toward outcome. So you don't feel that buzz that you would on a Sunday, but you can't help but look around over your shoulder and ... damn, this is Pebble Beach. Shot 65 and you're in the U.S. Open. It's a cool moment. Whatever transpires the rest of the week, it was a cool moment.''
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