The U.S. Open is widely viewed as the most difficult of the four men's major championships, but with soft conditions at a little-known venue, Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele made their opening rounds look like child's play.
Fowler rang up 10 birdies en route to the first round of 62 in U.S. Open history, and Schauffele finished up a bogey-free 62 about 20 minutes later to match him Thursday at the Los Angeles Country Club.
Fowler and Schauffele went 8-under par at the LACC's par-70 North Course, which is hosting a major for the first time. After the morning wave, they were five clear of the field, with World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau among a group at 3 under.
"It's not really what you expect playing a U.S. Open," Schauffele said. "But monkey see, monkey do. Was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard."
South African Branden Grace was previously the only player to card a 62 at a major, accomplished in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship.
Six players had shot a round of 63 in the U.S. Open's 123-year history: Johnny Miller, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Weiskopf, Vijay Singh of Fiji, Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood of England.
Both Fowler, 34, and Schauffele, 29, are California natives in search of the first major titles of their careers.
Fowler made 10 of 13 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation. Most important, he led the field with 4.73 strokes gained putting.
"The first few days this week I wasn't feeling very comfortable swinging and wasn't making many putts or hitting very good putts, so continued to get work in on the course as well as in the practice area, and finally a couple things clicked a bit (Wednesday)," Fowler said. "Then it was more just go out, trust it and let things happen.
"I knew there was birdies to be made out here, but you have to drive it well and get the ball in position first. Yeah, did that, and from there just managed our way around really well."
Fowler, a longtime fan favorite on the PGA Tour, is playing his first U.S. Open since 2020 after failing two qualify for two straight years.
"It's definitely been long and tough. A lot longer being in that situation than you'd ever want to," he said. "But it makes it so worth it having gone through that and being back where we are now."
In six U.S. Open starts, Schauffele has finished in the top 15 all six times, with five top-10s and three top-fives. He gained 3.81 strokes on approach shots, leading the field by a wide margin.
"I had a pretty good flow throughout the round," Schauffele said on the TV broadcast. "I was looking at Rickie up on the board all day -- every time I made a birdie, it just said I was still in second place. So I just felt like if he was doing it, why can't I?"
Fowler teed off on the back nine and played it in 3-under -- five birdies, two bogeys. His birdie putt of nearly 16 feet at the 18th hole launched a string of four straight birdies.
At the par-5 first, Fowler's third shot out of a greenside bunker stopped 5 feet from the pin, and his second shot at the par-4 second nestled to about 2 feet of the cup. And at the par-4 third, Fowler's approach spun back and glanced off the ball of one of his playing partners, stopping 4 feet and change from the pin.
Fowler's final birdies came at Nos. 6 and 8, the latter a par-5 that saw him in trouble off the tree. His drive landed in a barranca that winds throughout the property, but he blasted out into the fairway, avoiding an overhanging tree, and reached the green in three shots before sinking a 13-foot birdie.
He two-putted the par-3 ninth hole to conclude his historic round.
Schauffele also started on the back nine and birdied three of his first five holes. He watched a 17-foot birdie putt at No. 1 roll 360 degrees around the cup before dropping, and he stayed on Fowler's tail with birdies at Nos. 2, 5 and 7.
Shortly after Fowler signed for his 62, Schauffele made a left-to-right 7-footer at the eighth to tie him at 8 under. He had to save par from about 4 feet out at No. 9 to tie the record.
Scheffler made five birdies between Nos. 9 and 16, with his rounds bookended by bogeys at the first and last. He was tied at 67 with DeChambeau, Si Woo Kim of South Korea and Paul Barjon of France.
Los Angeles native Max Homa -- owner of the course record of 61, set during a college championship -- opened with a 2-under 68, tied with Jacob Solomon, Dylan Wu and New Zealand's Ryan Fox. Two-time major champion Jon Rahm of Spain and Viktor Hovland of Norway were part of a large tie at 1-under 69.
France's Mathieu Pavon had the first hole-in-one of the championship at the par-3 15th, playing just 124 yards Thursday. His wedge shot landed just past the cup and back-spun in.
Notable players who teed off in the afternoon wave included Phil Mickelson, Cameron Smith of Australia, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka and defending U.S. Open champ Matt Fitzpatrick of England.
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