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US OPEN 2022

How it happened: Matt Fitzpatrick holds off Scottie Scheffler, Will Zalatoris to win US Open at The Country Club

By Andrew Mahoney, Amin Touri, Jayna Bardahl, Katie McInerney and Matt Pepin Globe Staff, Globe Correspondent and Globe Staff,Updated June 19, 2022, 9:15 p.m.
In addition to the US Open trophy, Matt Fitzpatrick won $3.15 million.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

BROOKLINE — With a birdie on the 15th hole and an incredible sand shot on No. 18, Matt Fitzpatrick held off Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler to win the 122nd US Open at The Country Club.

Fitzpatrick, who is from England, shot 68 in the final round to become just the second male golfer to win the US Amateur and US Open on the same course, joining Jack Nicklaus. With fans on their feet in the 18th grandstand, cheers of “C’mon, Matt!” could be heard across the green.

He finished at 6-under, nailing a crucial 19-foot birdie putt on 15 that put him a stroke ahead of Zalatoris and Scheffler. His win was almost in danger when his tee shot on the dogleg 18th landed in a bunker. However his shot from the sand left him an 18-foot putt.

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“It’s what you grow up dreaming of,” Fitzpatrick said after being presented with the trophy. ”As a major, for my first win, there’s nothing better.”

Related: Matt Fitzpatrick makes the shot of his life out a fairway bunker on 18 to win the US Open

Zalatoris had a chance to tie it with a 14-foot, 1-inch putt on 18, which went just left.

“I thought I had it,” Zalatoris said.

The crowd quickly went silent, before cheers picked up for Fitzpatrick. With tears in his eyes, Fitzpatrick embraced his father — who was wearing a Red Sox hat — on the 18th green, as well as his mother and brother.

“I’ll be brutally honest, me and Billy [Foster, Fitzpatrick’s caddie], talked a while about the 18th tee shot. … If there was one shot I struggled with this year, that I just do not want, it’s a fairway bunker shot,” said Fitzpatrick, who earned $3.15 million for the victory.

Matt Fitzpatrick got a worm's-eye view of his birdie putt on the 15th hole.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Scheffler birdied 17 to put him within 1, but couldn’t nail his birdie putt on the 18th green. He finished at 5-under after a final-round 67.

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Fitzpatrick also won the 2013 US Amateur at The Country Club. Nicklaus won the 1961 US Amateur and the 1972 US Open at Pebble Beach.

Keegan Bradley, a Vermont native and Hopkinton High graduate, finished 1-over. After shooting 69 Friday and Saturday, he put himself in contention for his first major since his debut, when he won the 2011 PGA Championship, but a final-round 71 left him five shots back.

We’re tracking all the action here. Read below to review our live updates and analysis posted as the action unfolded.

FINAL SCORES: US Open leaderboard | Click here to read more golf stories

Scottie Scheffler again done in after the turn — 8:30 p.m.

He got burned at the turn.

Scottie Scheffler was again bitten by a couple of back-nine bogeys at The Country Club Sunday, and ultimately it cost the world’s top-ranked golfer. His final-round 3-under-par 67 left him at 5-under 275, just a shot behind US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

Scheffler, who was at 6 under as he approached the 10th tee — just as he was on Saturday, when he dropped five strokes in four holes — bogeyed 10 and 11, and he was never able to go on a birdie run to catch Fitzpatrick.

Funny thing is, the Masters champion thought he was in pretty good shape on both holes.

Read the rest here.

Matt Fitzpatrick’s brother left because he thought Matt wouldn’t win — 8:22 p.m.

Alex Fitzpatrick, US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick’s brother, left town on Saturday because he thought there was no chance the 28-year-old would win.

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Alex lives in Winston-Salem, N.C., outside the Wake Forest campus. He’s also a professional golfer, having just turned pro last month after graduating.

”He was 6 back, 5 back of the lead,” Alex said, “And when I landed he was tied.”

Alex said he texted his manager to get him on the next flight to Boston.

”If he wins, I can’t miss it,” Alex told him.

Read the full story here.

Despite the ending, it was a week to remember for Keegan Bradley — 8:01 p.m.

A round that sent him to his hands and knees ended with his fists raised high.

Keegan Bradley fought his putter on Sunday at the US Open, ending his chase for the trophy. But after capping a seventh-place finish with a final-round 71, he saluted a crowd that had his back the whole way.

They hollered encouragement wherever he went at The Country Club, often simply calling out his various New England associations: “802!” for his hometown of Woodstock, Vt., “Hillers!” for his schoolboy days at Hopkinton High, “Go Sox!” for his hardcore support of Boston teams, which he wore all over his spikes.

The gallery saved the most meaningful tributes for last. Hundreds around the 18th hole showered him with more “Keegan! Keegan!” thunder as he walked to the green. This was the week Bradley felt like a Boston sports hero.

Read Matt Porter’s full story here.

What Keegan Bradley said after finishing tied for 7th — 7:40 p.m.

On the entire week: ”There’s a part of me that’s still happy that it’s over. I’m tapped out. What a week.”

On the ovation he received on 18: ”Man, I’ll remember that the rest of my life. It was really special. I’m happy that my family was here to see that, and it was just amazing.”

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On why The Country Club should get another US Open: ”I think it’s one of the best golf courses in the world, and alongside probably the best sports fans in the world. Combine those two, and you get this out here.

”The Country Club is spectacular. I absolutely loved it. It’s my favorite U.S. Open venue I’ve ever played.“

On playing in front of family and friends, and in memory of his late grandmother: ”She was a very powerful force in our family forever. She recently passed away. She wouldn’t miss a round of golf I played or my Aunt Pat (Bradley, a six-time major winner) played. I’m very proud to be her grandson. I had her with me this week. I kept looking down, and that made me very proud.”

Keegan Bradley shot 71 in the final round.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Fitzpatrick on his approach to the 15th hole — 7:33 p.m.

Fitzpatrick’s tee shot came to rest on trampled grass nearly 230 yards from the green on No. 15. He landed his second shot right on the green, and sunk an 18-foot birdie putt on the 510-yard hole.

”I didn’t realize how far right it had gone,” he said of his tee shot. “I should have shouted fore; I hope I didn’t hit anyone there.”

He used a 5-iron for his second shot, which traveled 229 yards. He called it “one of the best shots” he had all day. It gave him a one-shot lead at the time, and it held up.

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”I hit it 18 feet to do that, and [to] take advantage of the break I had was just perfect,” he said.

What Matt Fitzpatrick said after winning the US Open — 7:04 p.m.

”It’s what you grow up dreaming of,” Fitzpatrick said after being presented with the trophy. “As a major, for my first win, there’s nothing better.”

On his tee shot on 18: ”I’ll be brutally honest, me and Billy [Foster, Fitzpatrick’s caddie], talked a while about the 18th tee shot. … If there was one shot I struggled with this year, that I just do not want, it’s a fairway bunker shot.”

Matt Fitzpatrick wins US Open at The Country Club — 6:49 p.m.

Matt Fitzpatrick parred the 18th hole after an approach shot from a fairway bunker to clinch the 2022 US Open. Fitzpatrick shot a final-round 68 to finish one shot ahead of Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler.

Both Zalatoris (14 feet, 1 inch) and Scheffler (24 feet, 6 inches) had birdie putts on 18nthat could have forced a playoff, but both narrowly missed.

With one hole to go, Fitzpatrick leads by 1 — 6:35 p.m.

Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris both missed 12-foot birdie putts and settled for par on No. 17, and they head to the 18th tee with Fitzpatrick leading by 1.

Scheffler posts 5-under par — 6:33 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler parred No. 18 and is the new leader in the clubhouse at 5-under after a final-round 67. Only four players remain on the course.

After 16 holes, Fitzpatrick leads by 1 — 6:24 p.m.

Will Zalatoris birdied No. 16 to gain one shot back and heading to No. 17, Matt Fitzpatrick leads by one at 6-under, with Scottie Scheffler and Zalatoris at 5-under.

Rory McIlory finished with a 69 on Sunday, and there were big “Rory! Rory!” chants heard on 18 after he missed the putt that would have put him at 3-under, tied for fourth.

Scheffler one behind — 6:19 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler hit a 6-foot putt after a well-placed approach on No. 17 and is at 5-under, one shot behind leader Matt Fitzpatrick.

After 15 holes, Fitzpatrick leads by 2 — 6:16 p.m.

Matt Fitzpatrick has the lead at 6-under after a two-shot swing on No. 15. Fitzpatrick drained a 19-foot putt after playing his approach shot from trampled down grass on the side of the 15th fairway.

Will Zalatoris found the greenside bunker and could not get up-and-down. He sat at 4-under along with Scottie Scheffler.

What is the US Open purse? — 6:14 p.m.

The winner earns $3,150,000, and the second-place finisher earns $1,890,000 from the $17.5 million total purse. The third-place finisher also gets six figures, bringing in $1,225,374.

What if a playoff is needed? — 6:02 p.m.

So, what happens if there’s a tie at the end of 18 holes? The US Open used to have an 18-hole playoff on Monday (that’s how Curtis Strange won here at TCC in 1988). But four years ago, they switched to a two-hole aggregate playoff. Golfers will play No. 1 and No. 18. Best score wins.

If golfers are still tied after those two holes, they’ll go to a sudden death format on Nos. 1 and 18.

What a putt by Fitzpatrick — 5:33 p.m.

Matt Fitzpatrick drained a 48-foot putt on the 13th hole to vault into a tie for the lead. It nearly gave him the lead outright, but Will Zalatoris managed to sink a 12-footer for par immediately after to prevent a two-shot swing.

Zalatoris was all over the place on 13, but in the end there’s no place on the scorecard for how you did it. Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick are tied for the lead at 5-under, with Scottie Scheffler a stroke behind.

Will Zalatoris’s shirt is an homage to Francis Ouimet — 5:31 p.m.

Zoom in close on the shirt leader Will Zalatoris is wearing, and you’ll see a pattern of two silhouettes. There’s a secret meaning to the choice: The silhouettes are taken from a photo of Francis Ouimet and his caddie during the amateur golfer’s historic 1913 US Open victory.

Matsuyama the leader in the clubhouse — 5:18 p.m.

Hideki Matsuyama shot a final-round 65 – the lowest round of the tournament – and posted a 3-under par 277 for the tournament. He is the leader in the clubhouse, although there are 18 players still on the course, including nine were under par at the time Matsuyama finished.

“Definitely my putting was helping my game a lot. Rolling really good putts. My shots were pretty decent too. I was able to target most of the greens, so I think that really helped me,” Matsuyama said.

Zalatoris takes the lead — 5:06 p.m.

Will Zalatoris rolled in an 18-foot putt on the 11th hole and then watched playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick three-putt from 17 feet for a bogey. That led to a two-shot swing, with Zalatoris taking the lead alone at 6-under, and Fitzpatrick dropping into a second-place tie with Scottie Scheffler.

Right back where we started — 5:01 p.m.

Will Zalatoris fell to 2-under after bogeying two of his first three holes on Sunday, but Saturday’s leader wasn’t going to let things get too out of hand. Zalatoris picked things up with three birdies in his last four holes on the front nine.

He snuck his way back to first place at 5-under to join Matt Fitzpatrick. Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick were the leaders entering the final round and after their first nine holes on Sunday they remain in that position.

Back-nine troubles continue for Scheffler — 4:53 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler was cruising along ... until the back nine on Sunday. Scheffler bogeyed the 10th and 11th holes to fall back to 4-under, two shots behind leader Matt Fitzpatrick.

On Saturday, Scheffler played a four-hole stretch of the back nine in five-over par, double-bogeying the 11th and then bogeying the next three holes.

Fitzpatrick regains the lead — 4:44 p.m.

After a near-perfect front nine where he parred every hole he didn’t birdie, Scottie Scheffler carded his first bogey of the round on the 10th hole. As Scheffler fell back, Matt Fitzpatrick jumped ahead, posting his third birdie of the day on the 8th hole. Fitzpatrick is the sole leader at 6-under with Scheffler and Will Zalatoris are just a stroke behind in second.

Interesting quirks of TCC — 4:40 p.m.

The Country Club’s small footprint presented myriad challenges for organizers, such as how to cram as many spectators as possible into the grounds, while also giving golfers ample room to get between holes?

The folks who set up the grounds had to get creative. They’ve erected bridges over walkways to get between holes — golfers walk up a set of stairs and cross a platform to get from the ninth green and the 10th tee.

On 10, the usual walkway over the water hazard is used for spectators. Organizers put in floating bridges so golfers could cross on the other side.

Overall, the tight footprint doesn’t feel so tight when you’re walking the course. There are plenty of areas roped off so spectators don’t wade too far into the brush.

A floating bridge on hole No. 10 at The Country Club.Katie McInerney/Globe Staff

The real fan favorites — 4:31 p.m.

Massachusetts residents may see the state’s wild turkeys as what they are — mostly a nuisance — but spectators here at TCC can’t get enough. There are six of them on the right side of hole No. 10 hanging out in the fescue, and 80 percent of the people who walked by stopped to snap a pic.

Golfers, however, seem used to the interlopers after seeing them across the course throughout the week. No word on who these birds are rooting for.

Wild turkeys on the 10th hole at The Country Club.Katie McInerney/Globe Staff

Watch out for Matsuyama — 4:25 p.m.

Hideki Matsuyama is creeping into contention during Sunday’s round after a 39-foot putt for birdie on the 13th hole lifted him to a fourth place tie at 2-under.

Matsuyama entered the final round 2-over but has carded four birdies, nine pars and no bogeys in his Sunday showing.

Big save for Scheffler — 4:21 p.m.

The hill leading up to the eighth hole green has caused trouble for many whose approaches came up short this weekend at The Country Club. After leader Scottie Scheffler’s second shot hit just shy of the green and then rolled back down the hill to leave him a 63-yard third shot, his third shot hit the green but spun back and came to rest almost where he was standing.

He then played his fourth shot to 5 feet, and saved himself with his putter and sank the putt to par the hole. He remains in the lead at 6-under.

Rough start for Zalatoris, but not all is lost — 4:00 p.m.

After rough start, Will Zalatoris birdied No. 6. Zalatoris, who entered Sunday with a share of the lead, bogeyed 2 and 3 to get off to a tough start. He picked up a stroke with a birdie on the sixth hole, which is playing at 158 yards today, to get to 3-under.

Zalatoris’s birdie on the next hole drew the loudest cheers yet. He’s now two shots back of the lead.

Fitzpatrick gives one back — 4:00 p.m.

One hole after pulling into a tie for the lead, Matt Fitzpatrick gave one shot back when he bogeyed No. 6. Fitzpatrick missed a 5-foot putt for par on the 158-yard par-3. Fitzpatrick is 5-under, one behind Scottie Scheffler.

Fitzpatrick, Scheffler tied — 3:52 p.m.

Matt Fitzpatrick has kept pace with the red-hot Scottie Scheffler on the front nine, and his birdie at the 301-yard par-4 fifth hole put him at 6-under and tied for the lead.

Who is rising, who is falling? — 3:50 p.m.

In the early stages of Round 4, a few players have made a charge, while a few others have faded.

Scottie Scheffler has taken command with four birdies on his first six holes to get to 6-under, but he’s not the only one scoring well. Denny McCarthy and Nick Hardy have both put themselves into contention with hot starts.

McCarthy started at 1-over, but three birds on his first five holes have put him at 2-under. Hardy, who started at even par, birdied the fourth and fifth holes to also get to 2-under.

Meanwhile, Collin Morikawa, who led after two rounds, is 3-under through 13 holes on Sunday after a disastrous 77 on Saturday.

However Keegan Bradley and Jon Rahm have struggled, although Rahm remains at 2-under.

Scheffler leads at 6-under — 3:38 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler drained a 14-foot putt on No. 6 for his forth birdie of the final round and is alone at 6-under. Matt Fitzpatrick, who is two holes behind Scheffler, is a 5-under through four holes.

Scheffler surges into tie for lead — 3:23 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler surged into a share of the lead early Sunday with three birdies on his first four holes. His 5-under par mark matched Matt Fitzpatrick, who reached 5-under with a birdie on the third hole.

Scheffler was hot at the start in Saturday’s round too, until he bogeyed three straight on the back nine.

Will Zalatoris entered the day as a co-leader but has since dropped to 2-under after bogeys on the second and third holes. Hometown favorite Keegan Bradley also caught a tough break at the start Sunday, bogeying three straight to start his round.

Keegan Bradley reacts after missing a par putt on the first hole.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

Full house at The Country Club — 3:05 p.m.

It’s hardly a surprise, but the crowd is better Sunday than it has been all week. It feels like they’re finally showing up.

It wasn’t mandatory to sport TCC gear this weekend, but glancing at the crowd you wouldn’t know that. That tracks with reports that the merchandise tent has sold out of many items.

Related: US Open expects record merchandise sales at The Country Club

Low man of the day ... so far — 2:59 p.m.

As one of the first golfers to finish Sunday’s final round, Guido Migliozzi of Italy posted a 66, tying for the lowest score of the weekend. He joins Adam Hadwin and Collin Morikawa as the only players to record a round 4-under par.

Migliozzi finished the tournament 2-over. He is ranked 171st in the world and finished last years’ US Open tied for 4th.

They’re all on the course — 2:47 p.m.

Co-leaders Matt Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris have both teed off in the final round. Fitzpatrick drove into the fairway on No. 1, while Zalatoris is in the first cut of rough to the right side of the fairway.

They both already face a challenge from Scottie Scheffler, who has birdied the first two holes and has caught the overnight leaders at 4-under.

Boston’s favorite player off and running — 2:35 p.m.

Keegan Bradley, who is from Vermont and played high school golf in Hopkinton, entered Sunday’s final round two shots off the lead. His tee shot on No. 1 found the second cut of rough on the right side of the fairway.

Bradley is paired with Jon Rahm of Spain, the defending US Open champ, who striped his tee shot right down the middle.

Bradley received a hero’s welcome on the 18th on Saturday as he wrapped up a round of 69 that left him in one of the final groups on Sunday.

Two groups to go — 2:24 p.m.

Masters champ Scottie Scheffler and first-round leader Adam Hadwin have teed off, leaving just two groups before the final round is in full swing.

Scheffler’s tee shot on No. 1 came to rest in the fairway, but his ball is in a divot, so he’ll have an early challenge. But at least it’s not the rough.

UPDATE: Scheffler played his approach on No. 1 quite well, leaving himself a birdie putt of 6 feet, 4 inches. Scheffler was 145 yards out and had to hit the ball hard to get it out of the divot, but he landed it on the green and made the putt to get to 3-under.

Can Rory McIlroy surge up the leaderboard? He’s teeing off now. — 2:12 p.m.

Rory McIlroy is on the tee, in a twosome with Sam Burns. The No. 3 player in the world, McIlroy shot a 73 on Saturday to enter the final round at 1-under. McIlroy is searching for his first major victory since 2014. He’s 0 for his last 28 tries.

Bryson DeChambeau finishes up dreadful weekend at 13-over — 2:07 p.m.

Power hitter Bryson DeChambeau, who has announced his intent to play in the LIV Golf Series, had just one birdie in his final round en route to carding a 75. After finishing 1-over in his first two rounds, DeChambeau shot a 76 on Saturday.

Other notable early scores: Callum Tarren and MJ Daffue, who were both high on the leaderboard in the first two rounds, both shot 69 on Sunday to finish at 6-over 286.

A few sweet saves — 1:56 p.m.

There have been a couple noteworthy saves on Sunday.

On the second hole, a par-3, Hideki Matsuyama tried to chip onto the green from the thick rough and only advanced the ball maybe a yard, to the fringe of the green. He then chipped in on his next shot to save par.

On the eleventh hole, also a par-3, Andrew Putnam found himself in the tall fescue beside the green, but was only able to slash the ball into the sand trap that was between his ball and the green. He then holed the bunker shot on one bounce to save par.

Hole locations pay homage to history on Championship Sunday — 12:40 p.m.

The USGA is always intentional about its hole locations, and the governing body of golf in the United States has really upped the stakes for the final round of the US Open.

The hole location on No. 17 is in the same spot as it was in 1913, when Francis Ouimet sunk a birdie that propelled him to victory and ushered in a new era for American golf.

The hole location for No. 18 is the same that was used in 1988, the last time the US Open was hosted by TCC. It is also where Curtis Strange forced a playoff with his shot out of the bunker, and eventually beat Nick Faldo in an 18-hole playoff.

Read more about Strange’s victory here.

Grayson Murray is not having a good day — 11:46 a.m.

Grayson Murray, who started the final round at 8-over, got off to a great start by birdieing the first hole. He gave the stroke right back on No. 2 with a bogey on the 221-yard par-3, then seemed to stabilize with pars on the next four holes.

But he started to unravel on the seventh hole, where he tapped in for a quadruple bogey 8 and then threw his putter into the tall fescue near the green.

Then on No. 10, Murray’s approach from the fairway landed in the tall rough to the left of the green and he snapped the shaft of his club over his knee.

After No. 10, Murray was at 8-over for the day and 16-over for the tournament. That included a triple-bogey 7 on No. 9.

UPDATE: Murray finished with an 80 on Sunday, his highest score of the week. He shot 75 in Round 1, followed by a 3-under 67, but went 76-80 on the weekend.

Sunday morning observations — 11:11 a.m.

A few quick observations from The Country Club:

• Many players are understandably wearing long sleeves because, according to AccuWeather, the temperature in Brookline is not supposed to get above 64 degrees. When the first shots were struck this morning, the temperature was in the 50s.

The good news is the rain appears to be a thing of the past and the sun has made an appearance.

Here’s David Epstein’s latest weather report for the Globe.

• On the practice green, many players spend a lot of time on short putts, which makes a lot of sense since you can save a lot of strokes if you have a high make percentage on your 3-to-6 footers.

• As has been the case throughout the week, some fans are wearing the same shirt the US team wore when it won the Ryder Cup here in 1999.

Case in point:


Round 3 stats analysis: The numbers show just how much the weather took its toll — 10:16 a.m.

The Country Club was no picnic on Day 3 of the US Open.

“This place,” Will Zalatoris proclaimed even after shooting at Saturday-best 67 to assume a share of the lead with a 4-under 206, “is a beast.”

With winds whipping at an average of 16 m.p.h., gusting up to 31 m.p.h., and periodically (and rather capriciously) disappearing, an already challenging course became bewildering for the 64 golfers who survived the cut. Even with a narrowed field comprised of the world’s elite, the average score for the third round jumped to 73.5 – up a stroke-and-a-half from the 72.0 average in Round 2.

Read more of Alex Speier’s analysis here.

Rory McIlroy is taking us on another thrill ride and fans are totally on board — 9:30 a.m.

Rory McIlroy was doing the wrong sort of moving on golf’s traditional moving day, his scores as he opened the third round of the US Open Saturday pushing him down a leaderboard he’d been stalking since play began Thursday. Bogey on No. 2. Bogey on No. 3. Bogey again on No. 6, when his putter just couldn’t find the extra inches it needed to find the hole.

Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on the second hole.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

For the deep and loyal legion of McIlroy fans, it was an all too familiar feeling. This is what McIlroy so often does, roaring out to a lead only to retreat when the pressure mounts. Yet if we know anything about the 33-year-old four-time major winner, that’s not always the end of his story.

So now we wait — wait to see whether he’s setting himself up for one of his similarly patented dramatic Sunday roars into another near-win (remember his majestic final round at the Masters in April, when he surged into a second-place finish?) or just setting himself up for one more major disappointment (if you somehow lost count, it’s 0-for-his-last-28 tries since 2014).

Through it all, however, one thing McIlroy also can be counted on to do, on moving day or any day at a well-attended golf tournament, is move the crowds.

History awaits at the US Open and Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm are chasing it — 9:00 a.m.

Matt Fitzpatrick has been superstitious since arriving in Boston. He won the 2013 US Amateur at The Country Club, so he wanted to do everything the same this week for the US Open.

He’s staying at the same house — with the family of Will Fulton, a TCC member and the general chairman of the championship. Fitzpatrick is sleeping in the same bed. He is even making Fulton’s children sleep in the rooms they slept in nine years ago.

And it’s working.

Read the rest from Ben Volin.

Terrific theater with a packed leaderboard at a historic course. What more could you ask for? — 8:30 a.m.

As formulas go, Coca-Cola has one that is more secretive and likely would be considered to produce a richer cash flow than the one the USGA employs for its national championship.

But if your passion is for great golf and superb sports entertainment, tip your cap to the show that is in progress at The Country Club. The 122nd US Open will not only head into Sunday’s final round with players who are ranked Nos. 1 (Scottie Scheffler), 2 (Jon Rahm), and 3 (Rory McIlroy) in the world order and very much in contention, but also with players ranked 14th (Will Zalatoris) and 18th (Matt Fitzpatrick) in the lead.

Read the rest from Jim McCabe.

Sunday’s pin positions — 7:12 a.m.

The USGA has revealed the hole locations for Sunday’s final round of the US Open, and at first glance it would appear they are seeking maximum drama down the stretch.

The location of the hole on No. 18 alone should accomplish that because it is tucked into the front-right corner just six yards deep. It also sits just beyond the big bunkers that protect the elevated green. Many players will likely not see their ball position from the fairway if their second shots are close.

Several other holes feature hole locations less than 5 yards from the edge of the green, including No. 4 (3 yards), No. 6 (4 yards), No. 7 (4 yards), and No. 14. On the sixth hole, the flag flies 4 yards from the right edge and just 7 from the front edge for a difficult front corner position.

Here is the graphic provided by the USGA:

Hole locations for the final round of the 2022 US Open.USGA

This isn’t easy, but it shouldn’t be — 8:45 p.m.

By Matt Porter

Serenity is typically welcome on a golf course, unless you’re planning for chaos.

“The wind died? Come on,” Jon Rahm roared, incredulous, after sailing his approach on No. 13 well past the hole. “What a freaking day.”

Jon Rahm was pretty frustrated about missing his putt on 18.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

On that particular shot, Rahm was anticipating the ripping gales that enveloped The Country Club on Saturday, and was instead handed a gentle breeze. That was a rare gift. Like the rest of the field during the third round of the US Open, Rahm’s offerings were mostly blown around the course.

According to the USGA, the average wind speed was around 16 miles per hour, with the average gust clocking 22 mph and a max gust of 31 mph. The galleries were on high alert. The trees picked up a few extra dents.

It added up to a day where red figures were hard to come by. Entering Sunday’s final round, when conditions are expected to be chillier — temperatures in the 50s — and less windy, Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick were leading the field at 4-under.

Let other tournaments hand out birdies like door prizes. This weekend is all about the struggle.

“Today was a prime example of a US Open Saturday,” Fitzpatrick said.

Read more here.

Sunday’s tee times are out — 8:30 p.m.

Here are some select tee times for Sunday:

10:44 a.m.: Brooks Koepka

12:17 p.m.: Justin Thomas

12:28 p.m.: Jordan Spieth

2:12 p.m.: Rory McIlroy, Sam Burns

2:23 p.m.: Scottie Scheffler, Adam Hadwin

2:34 p.m.: Keegan Bradley, Jon Rahm

2:45 p.m.: Matt Fitzpatrick, Will Zalatoris

See the full list here.

PGA champ Justin Thomas feeling drained — 8:20 p.m.

By Jayna Bardahl

Justin Thomas’s 319-yard drive on the fourth hole Saturday quickly took a — or rather a roll — for the worst.

The shot gained several extra feet after it landed, but couldn’t have stopped any closer to a drain on the fairway.

Thomas knew the awkward lay would affect his next stroke, but he also knew he wouldn’t hit the drain in the process.

“I felt like I very easily could have told [the rules official] that I was going to [hit the drain] and gotten a free drop, but I wasn’t,” said Thomas.

Instead, Thomas played the ball from where it was, stroking his pitching wedge for a 100-yard shot into the bunker, and went on to bogey the hole.

The scene was a microcosm of the 29-year-old’s rough week at the US Open. Read more here.

Jon Rahm surrenders lead with double bogey on 18 — 7:55 p.m.

With a 5-under and a one stroke lead, all Jon Rahm needed to do was finish out the 18th hole to ensure he’d be playing in the final pairing on Sunday. But that’s easier said than done.

It took Rahm three strokes to escape the bunker on the final hole, which led to a double-bogey. As a result, Rahm fell back to third place at 3-under.

Morikawa struggles after entering third round with lead — 7:53 p.m.

Collin Morikawa entered Saturday at 5-under, in a tie for the lead with Joel Dahmen.

That would be the only highlight for him.

A double bogey on 7 and another on 12 left Morikawa on the outside looking in. He’s at 7-over through 17 holes.

Jon Rahm surges to the lead — 7:35 p.m.

Jon Rahm birdied three of his last four holes to move to 5-under, giving him sole possession of the lead as he heads to the 18th hole.

Scottie Scheffler finishes with a 71 — 7:31 p.m.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler birdied 17, then saved par with a long putt on 18 to finish with a 71 and 2-under for the tournament.

Jon Rahm takes share of the lead with consecutive birdies — 7:15 p.m.

Defending champ Jon Rahm birdied on 14 and 15 to move to 4-under and pull even with Matthew Fitzpatrick and Will Zalatoris.

Keegan Bradley: “I feel like I’m playing a home game” — 7:09 p.m.

Keegan Bradley said this week is the closest he’s ever felt to playing a “home game.”

The Hopkinton High grad and Vermont native grew up dreaming of starring in Boston, for the Patriots or the Red Sox. He always wondered what it might be like to hear the crowd roar for a hometown favorite.

On Saturday, he shot a 69 to enter the final round at 2-under. That performance earned him raucous cheers while he walked up the fairway on 18.

”That walk up 18 was the best I’ve ever felt at a tournament,” he said. “That was really cool.”

Matthew Fitzpatrick finishes with a 68 and a share of the lead — 7:06 p.m.

Matthew Fitzpatrick nailed birdies on 14, 15, and 17 to move to 5-under, but bogeyed 18 and finished with a 68, good for 4-under and tied with Will Zalatoris for the lead.

Related: Matt Fitzpatrick steals the show in pairing with Dustin Johnson

New Englander Keegan Bradley sneaks up to 2-under — 6:13 p.m.

Keegan Bradley, the Hopkinton High star and the hometown favorite, shot 69 and finished 2 under.

He’s just two back of Will Zaltoris’s clubhouse lead.

Bradley had The Country Club rocking as he walked up 18 with his ball safely on the green. He two-putted for par and received a huge ovation for the fans.

”Kee-gan! Kee-gan!” they shouted. He offered some fist pumps in return. — Silverman, Hoban

Update on no relief for Justin Thomas ― 6:06 p.m.

The USGA provided a statement after Justin Thomas did not receive relief from his tough lay on the 4th hole.

“On the fourth hole, Justin Thomas’ ball came to rest near a drain in the fairway. Justin requested a ruling from a nearby referee. During the discussion, Justin was asked if the drain was going to interfere with his swing, to which he replied it was not. Because there was no interference from the drain, Justin was not provided relief. Rule 16.1a(1) states that interference from an immovable obstruction exists when the ball touches or is in or on the obstruction, or the obstruction physically interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing. The Rule goes on to state that if the obstruction is close enough to distract the player but does not otherwise interfere, there is no relief under the Rule.”.

Thomas was visibly frustrating after stroking the ball next to the drain.

”That’s what pisses me off because so many other people would lie about being able to hit that,” he said afterwards.

Zalatoris finishes with 67 to grab lead ― 6:04 p.m.

Will Zalatoris took the lead at 4-under after a third round 67 at TCC.

After birdieing the 510-yard 15th hole, he had a chance to strike when he placed his drive on 16 — which is playing at 175 yards today — just 27 yards from the hole. His putt missed by about four feet.

Zalatoris bogeyed just once on Saturday. He finished runner-up at the PGA Championship last month at Southern Hills, and is in contention to take his first major tomorrow.

McIlroy gets first birdie of the day ― 5:54 p.m.

After struggling for much of the day, Rory McIlroy got his first birdie of the third round at 11 to move to 2-under and just two shots off the lead. Moments later, Adam Hadwin birdied on 14th to also move to 2-under.

Another bogey for Scheffler ― 5:48 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler went from having a two-shot lead to trailing by one in just two holes after he followed his double bogey on 11 with a bogey on 12. He is now 3-under, one back of Will Zalatoris.

Zalatoris moves atop leaderboard with Scheffler ― 5:31 p.m.

Will Zalatoris took the co-lead at 4-under with a birdie on 15.

The 25-year-old Zalatoris tackled the blind approach by placing his ball perfectly on the fairway right behind the cart path.

He looked pretty happy after his tee shot on the par-3 16th, which is playing at 175 yards in Round 3.But his 23-foot putt didn’t land, and he lost out on his chance to take a solo lead.

Scottie Scheffler’s double bogey on 11 dropped him to 4-under.

Jon Rahm hits behind-the-back shot ― 5:21 p.m.

After his birdie on the 7th, reigning US Open champ Jon Rahm had a hard lay on the 8th hole. With his ball resting at a tree, Rahm hit a behind-the-back shot to get a better look. He went on to bogey the hole and is 3-under.

Morikawa’s up and down round continues — 5:01 p.m.

Collin Morikawa responded to his bogey on on the 4th hole with a birdie on the fifth. He gave it right back though by bogeying on the sixth and is two back at 4-under.

Eagles are wild for Scheffler, Rodgers — 4:45 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler holed out from 101-yards out on the 8th hole. The eagle puts Scheffler in the lead at 6-under.

Moments earlier, Patrick Rodgers made an eagle at 8 to move to 4-under.

Morikawa drops to 4-under — 4:38 p.m.

Collin Morikawa dropped to 4-under after a 21-foot putt for bogey on the 4th hole saved him from something much worse.

Morikawa is no longer alone at the top of the leaderboard. He joins Scottie Scheffler, Aaron Wise and Patrick Rodgers in the 4-under tie.

Dahmen also bogeyed the hole to fall two shots back of the lead at two-under.

Wise moves atop leaderboard with Morikawa — 4:17 p.m.

Aaron Wise birdied the fourth hole to move to 5-under and join Collin Morikawa for a share of the lead.

Rough start for Rory — 4:08 p.m.

Rory McIlroy bogeyed holes two and three to fall to 2-under and three shots off the lead.

Morikawa in the lead after Dahmen bogeys first hole — 3:58 p.m.

Qualifier Joel Dahmen bogeyed the first hole, leaving Collin Morikawa alone at the top of the leaderboard at five under.

Unlikely contender Hayden Buckley tees off in second to last group of the day — 3:34 p.m.

BROOKLINE — Five years ago, if you asked Hayden Buckley what he’d be doing now, his answer surely wouldn’t have been playing golf.

In fact, it wouldn’t have been his backup choice. Nor his third or fourth. Frankly, it might not have even made the list.

But here he is at The Country Club, one stroke back of the lead heading into the final two rounds of the 2022 US Open. He’s tied with world No. 3 Rory McIlroy and reigning US Open champ Jon Rahm, but if you were surprised to see his name on the leaderboard Friday … a few years ago he would’ve been, too.

Jayna Bardahl has the twists and turns of Buckley’s career.

Getting crowded at the top — 3:15 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler birdied his first hole of the day and is now one shot back.

Famous faces taking in the action — 2:59 p.m.

Several Boston athletes are on hand for Saturday’s action in Brookline, including Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. and Patriots center David Andrews.

Former Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon was also on hand and unfortunately got roped into one of those goofy bits about the Boston accent.

Another birdie for Zalatoris — 2:36 p.m.

Will Zalatoris has birdied two of the first four holes to move to 3-under and is two shots off the lead.

Hole 17 is an homage to Justin Leonard (and other pin locations) — 2:31 p.m.

Today’s hole location on 17 has a fun little backstory: The USGA said this morning that the position (24-5R, if you’re wondering) is where the hole was cut when Justin Leonard made his historic putt in the 1999 Ryder Cup.

We revisited Leonard’s epic moment here. And don’t miss this story about the devilish 17th hole, and how it’s bound to play a role this weekend.

Hole locations for Round 3USGA

No relief for JT — 2:25 p.m.

Justin Thomas just can’t seem to catch a break. The PGA champ’s 319-yard drive on the 4th hole took an inconvenient roll that laid next to the fairway drain.

The USGA’s relief rules say relief is granted for abnormal course conditions if it “physically interferes with the player’s area of intended stance or area of intended swing.”

Thomas did not get relief and went on to bogey the hole. — Bardahl

Good start for Zalatoris — 2:03 p.m.

Will Zalatoris, who lost to Justin Thomas in a playoff at the PGA last month and was runner-up at the Masters in 2021, birdied the first hole Saturday to move to 2-under. The San Francisco native has five top-10 finishes in his eight major appearances.

Woodland with a crowd-pleasing eagle — 2:01 p.m.

Gary Woodland’s eagle drew applause from the crowd after an eagle on the eighth hole.

Cashing in on the course — 1:54 p.m.

It’s a good thing the 49 cash registers in the back of the USGA’s massive merchandise tent operate at a quiet hum.

Otherwise, the non-stop ka-ching-ing would likely create an undignified racket that would rise above the hushed crowds surrounding focused golfers.

Even before this year’s US Open was halfway through, organizers sounded confident that sales revenues from some 400,000 items would break the all-time high set in 2015.

“This will, in all likelihood, unless something really strange happens, bring us our best merchandise sales we’ve ever had at the US Open — sales are fantastic,” said Mary Lopuszynski, the managing director of US Open merchandising.

The USGA does not divulge dollar figures. But public financial statements for the nonprofit organization report the pre-pandemic total revenues from USGA’s Championship events — the big four are the US men’s and women’s Opens and senior Opens, with the men’s Open the chief revenue driver — reached $45.9 million in 2019 (excluding TV broadcast rights), with Championship merchandise sales of $3.18 million.

Michael Silverman looks at a few factors are likely behind this year’s strong showing.

Traffic on the course, too — 1:33 p.m.

The traffic hasn’t been limited to outside The Country Club. There’s a back up on the course too.

Scoring update: Dustin Johnson at 1-under for today — 1:15 p.m.

DJ is at one-under through 3 after birdieing on the first hole; he’s at par for the tournament.

DeChambeau is at 5-over for the tournament. He’s hit four bogeys through seven holes.

Wanna get in the gates? It’s gonna cost ya. — 12:30 p.m.

Dig deep if you still want to get into the US Open.

Shortly after noon, the USGA’s resale ticket inventory on its website was offering three tickets for Saturday, priced at $950, $1,199, and $1,250.

For Sunday, inventory stood at 67 tickets, with a range from $400 to $2,000.

On StubHub, prices for a Sunday ticket ranged from $450 to $2,320 on StubHub. — Silverman

Spieth is 1-over through four holes — 12:20 p.m.

Jordan Spieth, who teed off at 11:22 a.m. with Wil Besseling, hit a bogey on the first hole before carding three pars.

From The Emancipator: The link between freedom and golf’s biggest event — 12:00 p.m.

On June 19 — now a national holiday celebrating Juneteenth, the day in 1865 when slavery finally ended in the United States — the final round of the U.S. Open Championship will be played at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. Known to few is a historical connection between the club and one of America’s most important documents, the Emancipation Proclamation. President Abraham Lincoln issued this executive order in 1863, setting in motion the abolition of slavery.

That connection is George Sewall Boutwell, born in 1818 in a Brookline farmhouse whose foundation exists today as part of the Jaques Room of the club’s clubhouse. Read more here from Jeffrey Boutwell.

Today’s purse is revealed — 11:30 a.m.

The USGA revealed its prize money breakdown Saturday morning.

Out of a $17.5 million total purse, $3.15 million will go the winner, $1.89 million for second place and exactly $1,225,374 to No. 3.

The 60th place finisher will collect $36,852.

Professionals who missed the cut received $10,000.

When Curtis Strange won here in the 1988 US Open, his check was for $180,000 out of a total purse of $1 million. — Michael Silverman

Protestors hit the course — 10:45 a.m.

Protesters from Massachusetts Peace Action against the Saudi Arabian-backed and PGA Tour rival LIV Golf unfurled a banner near a US Open entrance that read: “Saudi Arabia kills journalists and kids in Yemen,” with blood-red letters dripping on a black background.

A flier being passed out thanked “PGA Golfers who said ‘NO!’ No amount of money is worth your soul.”

The flier does not mention LIV Golf but decries LIV golfers Phil Mickleson and Dustin Johnson for taking millions of dollars from the Middle Eastern oil-rich kingdom that has been criticized for human rights abuses, war crimes in Yemen, and the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

The LIV Golf Tour will visit The International golf course in Bolton, Mass., this coming Labor Day weekend.

Also called out is President Joe Biden, whose plan to visit Saudi Arabia amounts to, according to the flier, “cozying up the butcher, Crown Prince MBS!” in reference to Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

How LIV golfers have fared — 10:20 a.m.

The upstart LIV Series golf tour has been the dominant storyline in golf in recent weeks, with intense scrutiny surrounding some of the sport’s stars that have chosen to partake in the Saudi-backed rival series.

That’s true out at The Country Club in Brookline, which is hosting the 122nd US Open. Fans could be heard cracking jokes toward LIV defectors during the first two days of play.

So, how has the golf been? Here’s how LIV golfers have fared, and if they made the cut.

Could there be a better start to the US Open? — 10:00 a.m.

Members and employees of The Country Club have a saying they have used often this week: Francis is watching over us.

That would be Francis Ouimet, of course, the legendary Brookline amateur golfer who won the 1913 US Open at TCC. And the first two rounds of the US Open have been so perfect — really the first five days of the event, including practice rounds — that maybe it’s not so crazy to believe that Ouimet’s spirit is protecting this year’s championship.

The weather in Brookline has been stunning — blue skies and breezy temperatures. A nasty thunderstorm predicted for Friday afternoon did not materialize, and golfers were treated to pristine conditions.

“It was about as enjoyable as a US Open walk can be,” Jon Rahm said.

“Yeah, we got lucky,” playing partner Collin Morikawa added. “It was nice to see some decent weather kind of fall my way.”

The leaderboard entering Saturday’s third round is also a dream for golf fans, TV execs, and USGA officials alike.

Read the rest of Ben Volin’s story here.

Round 2 recap — 9:30 a.m.

By Amin Touri

If the first day of the US Open was dominated by the unknowns, day two was all about the stars.

The big names found their footing at The Country Club, as Collin Morikawa’s 66 — tied for the lowest round at the tournament so far — made him a co-leader into the clubhouse at 5-under alongside qualifier Joel Dahmen. Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy shot 67 and 69, respectively, to each earn a share of third place at 4-under.

“Started off well again,” said Morikawa, the world No. 7. “Overall I feel like I’m doing the right things to get myself opportunities to make birdies and that’s what you have to do at a major tournament, especially when conditions and pin locations are just going to keep getting tougher.”

Dahmen entered the day tied for second after a 67 on Thursday, and kept rolling with a 68 on Friday to finish the second round tied for the lead. The world’s 130th-ranked golfer and a testicular cancer survivor, Dahmen made the cut for the first time in his third US Open.

There were plenty of lead changes throughout the day: South African M.J. Daffue was 6-under at one point early on before a rocky back nine left him at 1-under; world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler was part of a large group leading at 3-under after the morning session; England’s Callum Tarren and Sweden’s David Lingmerth led at points before difficult back nines of their own; and Morikawa and Dahmen jockeyed for the lead for much of the later part of the round.

McIlroy had to save a double bogey on three with a huge putt from 23 feet out before piecing together a very solid round, making three birdies over the last seven holes to vault himself into a tie for third.

“Didn’t get off to the greatest of starts with that third hole, but I knew there was a lot of chances coming up,” McIlroy said. “... I said to Harry [Diamond], my caddie, ‘Let’s see if we can shoot under par for the day, that’d be a really good day,’ and I was able to do that.”

Rahm, the defending US Open champion, looked to stumble briefly with a bogey on 13, but rectified that mistake quickly with an eagle on 14 before two birdies over his final five holes brought him to 67 for the day. Americans Aaron Wise and Hayden Buckley also sit tied for third at 4-under, and Masters winner Scheffler leads a group of six golfers still in the hunt at 3-under.

With the cut at 3-over, some of the big names that missed out on the weekend include Phil Mickelson (11-over), Tony Finau (5-over), Louis Oosthuizen (6-over), Cameron Smith (6-over), Shane Lowry (4-over), Viktor Hovland (4-over), and Sergio Garcia (4-over).

The stars are poised to pull away in the third round, but some lesser-known names are still a threat. Here’s a look at Saturday’s tee times.

We’ll have live updates throughout Saturday’s action. Check back for highlights, key shots, and other information throughout the day.

Round 2: How it happened

What Joel Dahmen said after finishing on top after Round 2 — 8:25 p.m.

Joel Dahmen is 5-under par and at the top of the leaderboard after Rounds 1 and 2 of the US Open. Dahmen shot a 67 on Thursday and a 68 on Friday to join Collin Morikawa in first.

“It’s kind of been a whirlwind really,” he said. “I was trying to think back on the round today, and it’s all kind of a blur really, which I think is probably a good thing.”

Dahmen birdied four times and bogeyed twice in Friday’s round. On the eighth hole, he just barely missed an eagle putt that would have put him in the lead alone.

After almost skipping his qualifying event in Ohio two weeks ago, Dahmen said he’s happy he decided to play it through.

“Sometimes you take for granted what you have out here a little bit,” he said. “You think not long ago I would have done a lot of things to play in [a major championship], and to think that I have an opportunity just to skip one, kind of looking back, even this whole week, you don’t appreciate really.”

Dahmen and Morikawa will tee off at 3:45 p.m. in Saturday’s third round. – Bardahl

MJ Daffue’s US Open journey has taken him from qualifier to leaderboard — 8:15 p.m.

Column by Tara Sullivan

To most of the golf world, what MJ Daffue was about to attempt looked nothing short of reckless. No pro golfer wants to take a penalty, but hitting an errant shot off the deck of a temporary hospitality tent just to avoid one?

That’s some Tin Cup level of risk-taking.

But since most of the golf world knew little to nothing about MJ Daffue — including the fact that his South African last name is pronounced “Duffy” — before he crashed the US Open leaderboard here at The Country Club, let it be known that the 33-year-old 10-year pro knew exactly what he was doing. Not out of some misguided level of cockiness, but rather a well-placed level of confidence. Daffue had actually hit this shot before. Many, many times.

Read the rest of Sullivan’s column here.

Hayden Buckley is tied for third. Who is this guy? — 7:55 p.m.

By Jayna Bardahl

Five years ago, if you asked Hayden Buckley what he’d be doing now, his answer sure wouldn’t have been golf.

In fact, it wouldn’t have been his back-up choice. Nor his third or fourth. Frankly, it might not have even made the list.

Hayden Buckley.Jared C. Tilton/Getty

But here he is at The Country Club, one stroke back of the lead heading into the weekend at the US Open . He’s tied with world No. 3 Rory McIlroy and reigning US Open champ Jon Rahm, but if you were surprised to see his name on the leaderboard Friday … a few years ago he would’ve been too.

At first Buckley thought it’d be baseball. The Chattanooga, Tenn., native spent his summers on the diamond, dreaming of the day he’d make it to the big leagues.

When that didn’t work out, he chose the next best thing: college.

Buckley attended Missouri — not his first choice, but where he ended up when the local colleges said he couldn’t play on their golf team. He joined the Tigers team on a two-percent scholarship – essentially a walk-on – thanks to a positive recommendation from a mutual connection.

But golf was just for fun.

“I studied hard because I thought I’d be working post-college,” Buckley laughed. “I had dreams, but those were crushed pretty early.”

As a freshman, Buckley studied engineering. It “sounded cool” he said, until the classes turned him away. He graduated in 2018 as a health science major and interned at a hospital the following summer.

The only problem? He hated it.

“It was a quick ‘No more of this, let’s get to golf,’” said Buckley. “I think once you realize this is what you want, you’ve just got to go after it.”

Since then, Buckley invested in his game. He played in the 2020-21 Korn Ferry Tour on conditional status. In February 2021, Buckley arrived at the LECOM Suncoast Classic as an alternate. Before even making the field, Buckley warmed up on the range without a tee time, in the dark. A last-minute withdrawal granted him a spot and he earned his first PGA Tour card by winning the event in a playoff.

“I know from experience what one week can do. I think you see it every week. You see it from guys that qualified this week and made cuts,” he said.

Entering this US Open, Buckley had made just one cut in his last seven starts. He posted a consistent 2-under 68 Thursday and Friday in Brookline to stick around.

“We’ve been talking about it for the last few weeks, how simple it is to go out and make less bogeys, make a lot of pars and find a few birdies,” said Buckley. “Today I was 2-over through, I think, 11 holes and still felt fine. Made a little late charge there and made a few birdies coming in.”

Buckley made four birdies on Friday’s back nine. Things looked grim after his drive on the 18th hole put him in the rough behind a tree, but he came back with a beautiful shot that took a nifty roll to lay just fourfeet from the hole. Buckley putted it in for birdie to end his day.

“I think it was a little bit of maturity. I needed to really grow up and kind of learn how to grind a little bit more. That’s something that we did today,” Buckley said.

But don’t get things mixed up. Buckley’s worked for his spot this weekend, but when it comes to watching golf? That’s still a bit of a stretch.

“I don’t watch golf. I don’t really enjoy watching golf,” said Buckley. “I like to play golf and go home and hang out with my fiancé and our dog, and I just don’t watch golf. I’m out here all day, I just don’t want to watch it.”

📸 As a thank you, a sneak peek at the trophy — 7:40 p.m.

Globe photographer John Tlumacki got a sneak peek of the US Open trophy. Here’s how it went down:

Tlumacki has a buddy on the maintenance crew here at The Country Club. This person told him the cup arrived this afternoon, but it wasn’t able to be viewed by the public.

As a thank you, however, the USGA wanted to give the folks who have made this entire event possible some time with the hardware.

Shannon Doody from the USGA holds up the US Open trophy so members of the grounds maintenance crew and volunteers who worked hard to get the course in shape could take a look.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

The maintenance folks, grounds crew, and volunteers got a chance to see it before the golfers, out at the maintenance building behind the 13th tee.

Dahmen takes share of the lead — 7:35 p.m.

Joel Dahmen — the guy in the bucket hat — carded three birdies in his final eight holes to finish at five-under. He earned a share of the lead alongside Collin Morikawa.

Beau Hossler holes out from bunker — 7:34 p.m.

Beau Hossler thought he put himself in a bad position on the 9th hole after his tee shot put him in the bunker. But things worked out just fine when he chipped out of the beach and right into the hole for a birdie.

He ends the round at 3-under and now joins the 5-man tie one stroke back of the lead. — Bardahl

McCabe: Matt Fitzpatrick steals the show in pairing with Dustin Johnson — 7:30 p.m.

It is one of those golf stories that wafted in unexpectedly — an afterthought to the man who delivered it, Billy Foster, but a totally rich and delightful one to these ears.

Imagine turning down the opportunity to caddie in the Masters, something Lorne Duncan did in 2014. It had been arranged by Foster, who was looking out for his “fellow Yorkshireman” — US Amateur winner Matt Fitzpatrick — to hook him up with Duncan, a veteran bagman. Only Duncan said no.

Pray tell, why?

“Because he couldn’t wear sandals,” shrugged Foster.

Perplexing, yes, but we’ll table a discussion on that for another day and suggest things went quite well that Masters for young Mr. Fitzpatrick. Read the rest from Jim McCabe here.

McIlroy’s 69 leaves him at 4-under, tied for second — 6:45 p.m.

Rory McIlroy entered the clubhouse at 4-under, tied with Jon Rahm and others for third place a shot behind leader Collin Morikawa after a solid second round for the Northern Irishman.

Morikawa finishes off a 66, leads at 5-under — 6:13 p.m.

The two-time major champion is one stroke clear of the field entering the weekend after tying the tournament-low mark with a 66 in the second round.

Rahm finishes 4-under after a 67 in Round 2 — 6:10 p.m.

The defending champion is one shot back of the lead after a strong Friday in Brookline.

American Cameron Young aces the sixth, 48th hole-in-one at US Open — 6:00 p.m.

American Cameron Young is going to need a strong finish to make the cut, and a hole-in-one on the par-3 sixth doesn’t hurt one bit; he’s 5-over with three holes to play.

Watch Young’s ace here.

Morikawa birdies for the lead at 5-under, but it could’ve been more — 5:55 p.m.

Morikawa is back on top after a birdie on the eighth hole took him to 5-under, but he’ll be kicking himself after missing a 5-foot putt for eagle that could’ve put him two strokes clear of the field.

Hayden Buckley finishes off another 68, tied for the lead — 5:40 p.m.

Back-to-back birdie putts wrapped up a second consecutive 68 for Buckley, and the 26-year-old finishes Friday tied for the lead at 4-under as the unknowns continue to top the leaderboard.

Justin Thomas frustrated with 2-over round — 5:30 p.m.

Justin Thomas and his putter did not get along Friday.

Thomas, ranked 5th in the world and fresh off a major win at the PGA Championship, shot 2-over 72 in the second round to bring him to 1-over par overall. Although he likely will make the cut, the Louisville native was visibly frustrated on the course.

On the 4th hole, Thomas posted a three-putt bogey, smacking his club in annoyance.

As Thomas and his group waited at the 6th hole tee box for the golfers ahead to finish up, Thomas sat on his bag, analyzing his scorebook.

“Take your time. Review your process,” his caddie said to him as he lined up his tee shot.

The shot veered right while the hole sat left. On the 192-yard par 2, Thomas sank to another three-putt bogey. — Bardahl

Adam Scott sinks a long putt, and it’s a beauty — 5:15 p.m.

A 45-foot birdie chance on the 4th hole was no trouble at all for the Aussie, who sunk one of the best putts of the day.

Cut projected at 3-over; see who’s in danger — 5:10 p.m.

Phil Mickelson is out, Bryson DeChambeau is in, and Jordan Speith is on the bubble. Read more here.

Jon Rahm is on the charge — 5:05 p.m.

The Spaniard is only two back after a 33 on the back nine, and after driving onto the green and two-putting for birdie on the 5th hole, he sits at 3-under par.

Joel Dahmen moves into lead — 4:50 p.m.

Joel Dahmen couldn’t have gotten much closer to an eagle on the 8th hole, but his three-putt birdie will do just fine. His third stroke rode right up to the edge of the hole. He knocked it in to gain a stroke.

Dahmen is now alone at the top of the leaderboard at 5-under par. He’s shooting 2-under par in his 2nd Round.

Morikawa moves into lead ... then bogeys — 4:40 p.m.

Collin Morikawa moved into the lead at 5-under with six holes to play on Friday. But then lost it back to David Lingmerth after bogeying on 5.

Lingmerth, the Swede, bogeyed 13.

Wellesley’s Michael Thorbjornsen birdies 5 — 4:25 p.m.

Heartwarming scene at the 5th green when Wellesley amateur Michael Thorbjornsen cards a birdie.

His family cheers wildly and he’s a little embarrassed by the attention.

“Mommmm,” he says, “shhhh.” — Volin

No. 2 hole is playing the hardest so far — 4:20 p.m.

No. 2, the 215-yard par-3, is playing the hardest so far — just 13 birdies, 160 pars, and 102 bogeys.

Adam Scott just hit a double-bogey, and Jordan Spieth and Max Homa parred it. — McInerney

Peter and Maria Hoey

Volin: Did the USGA kind of screw the LIV golfers? Maybe. — 4:10 p.m.

The USGA may have let Phil Mickelson and the other LIV golfers participate in this US Open, but the organization didn’t do them any favors.

Twelve of the 15 LIV golfers were placed in the more difficult late Thursday/early Friday wave, which allowed for far less recovery time. Mickelson, for example, ended his first round at 7 p.m. on Thursday, and only had 13 hours until his Friday tee time at 8:02 a.m.

Compare that with McIlroy and the golfers from the early Thursday/late Friday wave, who were off the course by 1 p.m. and had a full 24 hours to prepare. Those 11 hours make a difference to a 52-year-old like Mickelson.

Noticeably, all of the big-name golfers that defected to LIV were placed in the late Thursday/early Friday wave, including Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na and Louis Oosthuizen. The only three LIV golfers placed in the early wave were lesser-known guys – James Piot, Branden Grace and Jinichiro Kozuma.

Absent the LIV controversy, you’d think the USGA would put Mickelson in the early wave to help him make the cut, since he attracts the most eyeballs and can boost TV ratings over the weekend. It couldn’t have been a coincidence that at both the Masters and PGA Championship, Tiger Woods was in the early Thursday/late Friday wave, giving him enough time to get his body right and squeak past the cut line.

Friday afternoon also seems to be a prime window for the golf TV broadcast. Woods often plays on Friday afternoon to help maximize the ratings. But Mickelson, Johnson and the rest of the LIV golfers were off the course before Friday’s broadcast began at 2 p.m.

Nor did the USGA make the LIV golfers part of the “featured groups” on the online broadcast. Mickelson’s return is the biggest story for fans and media, but the USGA didn’t provide him or any of the other LIV guys with additional TV coverage.

The message from the USGA seems to be: We’re not making the LIV guys the face of our tournament, and we’re not helping promote their new tour.

— Ben Volin

David Lingmerth birdies 10 to move into lead — 3:50 p.m.

David Lingmerth, the Swedish golfer who is ranked 592nd in the world, has sole possession of the lead after birdieing the 10th hole. He’s got 3 birdies and one bogey today.

Watch: College amateur holes out for eagle — 3:45 p.m.

This is something Fred Biondi won’t forget.

Morikawa surges through his first nine — 3:40 p.m.

Collin Morikawa teed off on 10 and ran through three birdies on 12, 14, and 17 to settle in at 4-under through the back nine.

He’s surged up and is now tied for the lead. — McInerney

Rain threat feels like it’s over — 3:30 p.m.

It’s much nicer out here ... but the forecast says we aren’t completely done here.

The rain has started here in Brookline — 3:00 p.m.

A glimpse outside the media center shows some clouds. A few raindrops are falling. It mostly feels like the skies are about to open up. Sources tell me southwest of here got slammed. Will we dodge a delay? — McInerney

Tarren and Dahmen are tied for the lead. Who the heck are these guys? — 2:45 p.m.

Callum Tarren and Joel Dahmen are tied at 4-under. Tarren is on nine; Dahmen on 1.

Michael Silverman has what you need to know about these two upstart golfers shaking things up here in Brookline.

Callum Tarren

Callum Tarren drives the ball on 8.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Having missed the cut in last week’s RBC Canadian Open and with a 71.6 scoring average this season on the PGA Tour, there was no reason to expect to see Tarren, who is ranked 445th in the world, on the leaderboard.

“I’m kind of pinching myself, because I didn’t realize I was on the top of the leaderboard until I pulled that final putt on the ninth hole,” said Tarren. “Just excited with my start, and let’s see what the next few days holds.”

Tarren began on the 10th hole — with a bogey. Then, eight pars in a row before he birdied No. 1. A bogey on No. 2 left him even, before a couple of birdies and an eagle on No. 8 made his day.

This is the second US Open for Tarren, and he’s 2 for 2 with having transportation and/or golf club issues on the way to the tournament. In 2019, he had to practice with borrowed clubs and also incurred a $450 taxi ride from San Francisco to Pebble Beach because of travel snafus. And when his plane from Toronto landed at Logan Saturday, his clubs weren’t on it. They made it here Sunday.

Joel Dahmen

Joel Dahmen rocks the bucket hat on Thursday.Warren Little/Getty

Dahmen’s 130th worldwide ranking is McIlroy-like compared with Lingmerth and Tarren, so maybe you have heard his name before. He usually wears a bucket hat.

Locals may recall that after missing the cut at the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston, Dahmen sent out a call on Twitter to get in some more golf. He found it at Thorny Lea in Brockton.

This is his third US Open (2019, 2020) and it could be the first in which Dahmen, a testicular cancer survivor, makes the cut. He’s won one tournament — Corales Puntacana Championship last year — and the 34-year-old Washington native is taking his showing Thursday in stride.

“Do I believe in myself? Yeah,” Dahmen said Thursday. “If you look at my game and what I am, for me to make it on Tour for six years and play this well, that’s probably overachieving some would say. I wasn’t All-American. I wasn’t the best.

“I love being nervous. I love my hands shaking. That’s why we play the game. I’ve done pretty well under pressure. The closer I get to it, I don’t tend to just completely collapse.

“How often are you going to be tied for the lead of the US Open? This is incredible, right?”

Right.

Jon Rahm becomes third golfer to eagle on 14 — 2:35 p.m.

Jon Rahm just hit an eagle on 14, a 619-par 5. It’s the third eagle on that hole today

Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka each shot an eagle earlier. It’s the longest hole on the course.

Related: Why the 14th hole at The Country Club may end up being the face of the US Open

Koepka and Scheffler’s performances were especially intriguing as they played in the same group.

“Any time you get a group that’s kind of rolling and making putts, doing everything they’re supposed to do, it becomes almost second nature, and you start playing a little better,” said Koepka. — Bardahl

A morning on the course: Here are the best spots to watch — 2:20 p.m.

Attending a major golf championship can be overwhelming. Should you follow your favorite golfers or camp out at a hole to watch the groups play through? That might depend on whether you wore your walking shoes, but a morning on the course can help you identify some of the best spots.

Tucked in the corner between the 4th and 5th hole is a great, secluded spot to watch some golf. From behind the ropes you can see players putt the 4th green AND watch them tee off the 5th.

As expected, the area surrounding the 18th green can fill up fast. If a fan favorite is playing through the hole, avoid the sidewalk as the crowd lines up for autographs.

Need a break? Join the fans who found a seat behind the 10th hole green. — Bardahl

Rory double bogeys on 3 — 2:11 p.m.

Oof. Talk about a worst-case scenario for McIlroy.

His second shot off the fairway landed in the fescue near a bunker, and it didn’t move when he took a third shot. He landed his sixth stroke, a 23-foot putt, for the double bogey.

He’s now at 1-under. — McInerney

Notable finishes in Round 2 — 2:00 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler shot a 67, he’s at 3-under ... Brooks Koepka also shot 67 to finish at 3-under ... Matt Fitzpatrick hit par to finish the first two rounds at 2-under — he’s tied for eighth right now ... Bryson DeChambeau hit 1-over again today, he’s tied for 46th. — McInerney

Mickelson shoots 73 in second round, will miss the cut — 1:29 p.m.

Day 2 of the US Open was slightly better for Phil Mickelson, who followed his first round of 78 with a 73 to finish 11-over and miss the cut. The US Open remains the only major he has never won.

Phil Mickelson ended the second round of the US Open tied for 143rd.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Tarren moves into the lead — 1:17 p.m.

After shooting a 67 in the first round, Callum Tarren birdied No. 3 Friday to move into first place at 4-under.

Michael Silverman wrote about Tarren after his first round performance:

Having missed the cut in last week’s RBC Canadian Open and with a 71.6 scoring average this season on the PGA Tour, there was no reason to expect to see Tarren, who is ranked 445th in the world, on the leaderboard.

“I’m kind of pinching myself, because I didn’t realize I was on the top of the leaderboard until I pulled that final putt on the ninth hole,” said Tarren. “Just excited with my start, and let’s see what the next few days holds.”

Tarren began on the 10th hole — with a bogey. Then, eight pars in a row before he birdied No. 1. A bogey on No. 2 left him even, before a couple of birdies and an eagle on No. 8 made his day.

This is the second US Open for Tarren, and he’s 2 for 2 with having transportation and/or golf club issues on the way to the tournament. In 2019, he had to practice with borrowed clubs and also incurred a $450 taxi ride from San Francisco to Pebble Beach because of travel snafus. And when his plane from Toronto landed at Logan Saturday, his clubs weren’t on it. They made it here Sunday.

That Tarren made it on the leaderboard was not exactly planned, either.

“I honestly don’t know, that’s a good question,” said Tarren when asked if he expected to do so well. “I would have said, ‘I’ll take it,’ but, like I said, I think you’ve stumped me. I honestly can’t answer that.”

Scheffler finishes Round 2 tied for first — 12:49 p.m.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler shot 31 on the back nine to finish 3-under for the day and in a tie for first place. He birdied 13th, eagled 14, and birdied 16.

More on the 14th — 12:37 p.m.

Second wave starts to tee off — 12:30 p.m.

The second wave of players are starting to make their way out on the course. Callum Tarren, one of the surprises from the first day when he shot a 3-under, went out at 12:30 p.m. with Hayden Buckley (-2) and Fran Quinn.

Others notables: 12:41 p.m.: Michael NeSmith, 1:03 p.m.: Collin Morikawa, David Lingmerth, Jon Rahm, 1:14 p.m.: Max Homa, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, 1:25 p.m.: Hideki Matsuyama, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, 1:47 p.m.: Keegan Bradley, Will Zalatoris, 2:20 p.m.: Joel Dahmen

Daffue comes back to the pack — 12:11 p.m.

After taking the turn at 3-under for the day and in first place at 6-under for the tournament, MJ Daffue struggled on the back 9, shooting a 5-over 40. He sits at 1-under through two rounds, two shots off the lead.

Scheffler moves into tie atop leaderboard — 12:04 p.m.

Scottie Scheffler birdied the 16th to move to 3-under, putting him in a group of six at the top of the leaderboard.

Scheffler, Koepka eagle 14th hole — 11:41 a.m.

Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka, playing together all morning along with Cameron Smith, both scored eagles on the 14th. Scheffler, the No. 1-ranked player in the world and the 2022 Masters champion, moved to 2-under, just one off the lead, while Koepka, a two-time Open winner, is now 1-under.

Related: Why the 14th hole at The Country Club may end up being the face of the US Open

Weather watch is on — 11:31 a.m.

Mickelson 11 over at the turn — 11:29 a.m.

After finishing with an 8-over-par 78 on Thursday, things have not gone much better for Phil Mickelson in Round 2. The lefty was 3-over for the first nine, taking the turn at 11-over after saving par with a nice put on hole 9. He has yet to make a birdie.

Related: Despite plenty of cheers from the fans, it was a dismal day on the golf course for Phil Mickelson

Spirit of 1999 alive and well — 11:09 a.m.

Ben Volin spotted a couple of spectators sporting shirts the the US team wore on the Sunday of their epic rally in the final day in the 1999 Ryder Cup.

As part of his oral history of some of the big moments in the history of The Country Club, Chad Finn recapped the historic comeback. You can read it here.


McCabe: Why the 14th hole at The Country Club may end up being the face of the US Open — 11:01 a.m.

Consistent with the age of might and muscle in which we reside, Adam Scott was committed to taking on The Country Club’s 619-yard, par-5 14th hole with a 9-iron.

A 9-iron?

Yes. After all, how else was he going to get in position to hit a 199-yard third shot into a green at the top of Bunker Hill?

Back to Scott in a moment, but first, a history lesson about this prodigious hole. As an ode to Boston’s part in the Revolutionary War, when the 14th was built in the 1920s officials saw all the bunkers in the hill and the name was a no-brainer.

That it’s also no pushover in this 122nd US Open is a celebration to be rejoiced. Should you be nonchalant about these gallant pros hitting driver, 7-iron into par-5s week after week, raise your hand. Should you miss the days when players actually gave thought to their layup shot, shake your tambourines.

Then after you put your hand down and silence your tambourines, run to highlights of Round 1 and study the wonder of this 14th hole. Lovely stuff.

Read the rest of Jim McCabe’s story here.

Speier: A few key metrics show exactly why the leaders had an edge in the first round — 10:45 a.m.

What did it take to zoom atop the leaderboard on Day 1 of the US Open at the Country Club? Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a shock that the golfers who did so generally performed well in virtually every aspect of their craft.

But on a course featuring some of the smallest greens on the tour, and with thick rough, bunkers, and fescue ready to swallow stray shots, those golfers who finished atop the pack on day one mostly had the best days in their approaches to the hole.

Continue reading Alex Speier’s analysis from the first round.

Daffue plays one off the carpet — 10:19 a.m.

After MJ Daffue’s shot on 14 landed on the carpet by the hospitality tent, he decided to clear the area and play the ball.

He went on to bogey the hole to see his lead shrink to one at 4-under.

Who is MJ Daffue? — 10:15 a.m.

That last name is pronounced “Duffy,” and the 33-year-old South African who grew up speaking Afrikaans and attended Lamar University is a Korn Ferry Tour newcomer who’s been playing well this season, with three top-three finishes on the Korn Ferry.

A round of golf as a 12-year-old with South African golf legend Retief Goosen (two-time US Open winner) was instrumental in Daffue’s decision to become a golfer.

He’s more than happy to be here.

”I’ve never been to Boston,” said Daffue. “I know they’re crazy fans over here, but I’m loving it. Apparently some guy over there, I made him $600 making a putt. He was loving it.”

Daffue leads at 5-under through 13.

Krokak moves to 1-under with long birdie — 10:10 a.m.

International flair — 9:57 a.m.

Five of the top six players on the leaderboard are from outside the US.

Daffue bogeys 11 — 9:53 a.m.

MJ Daffue fell back to 5-under after he bogeyed the 11th, but still has a two-shot lead.

Rough start for Justin Thomas — 9:30 a.m.

MJ Daffue’s lead expands to three strokes — 8:51 a.m.

Round 1 leader Adam Hadwin bogeyed his second hole to slip to 3-under, and MJ Daffue’s lead is now up to three strokes after his birdie on 7.

Related: Just who are these guys at the top of the US Open leaderboard?

Check out this Koepka birdie — 8:33 a.m.

Brooks Koepka started the day seven shot back at 3-over, but perhaps this loooonnngggg putt on the third hole will get him back on track.

MJ Daffue surges to lead — 8:28 a.m.

MJ Daffue birdied three of his first five holes to move to five under and atop the leaderboard.

TV schedule and pin locations — 6:56 a.m.

Round 1 recap

Adam Hadwin leads after the first round

BROOKLINE — The leaderboard entering Friday’s golf probably looks unfamiliar. And there’s a reason.

Adam Hadwin, No. 105 in the World Golf Rankings, held the lead after a 4-under par 66 Thursday at The Country Club. Hadwin had five birdies and one bogey on the front nine for a 31 and was among the final players out on the course when he posted his score after parring No. 18.

“Not much better of a start to a US Open that I think you can ask for,” Hadwin said. “I hit the ball really well the last four holes, which I was really pleased with. I kind of found a little something there at the end.”

Five players were a shot behind at 67, led by Rory McIlroy, who is No. 3 in the world rankings. Callum Tarren, David Lingmerth, Joel Dahmen, and MJ Daffue also were at 3-under.

Several notable players struggled with The Country Club’s notorious rough and fast, undulating greens, while others managed to break par. Dustin Johnson and Justin Rose were at 2-under, while Collin Morikawa, world No. 2 Jon Rahm, Adam Scott, and Will Zalatoris were all 1-under.

World No. 1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler shot even-par 70 along with Patrick Reed, Xander Schauffele, Hideki Matsuyama, and Justin Thomas.

Can they turn things around in Round 2? Here’s a look at the tee times.

We’ll have live updates throughout Friday’s action. Check back for highlights, key shots, and other information throughout the day.

Round 1: How it happened

Instant analysis: Rory McIlroy shot 3-under, yet still lost his cool — 8:15 p.m.

By Ben Volin

The Country Club’s blind shots and the US Open’s diabolically thick rough can send even the most gentlemanly of golfers into a fit of rage.

For proof, look no farther than Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy is one of the great stewards of golf — a champion on the course, a thoughtful spokesman away from it, and always calm and composed. But he was a ball of fury on the second nine of his opening round Thursday morning at the US Open (he began his day on the 10th hole).

Never mind that McIlroy finished with a 3-under-par 67, and carded nary a bogey until his final hole. A lengthy backup on the fifth tee box — the drivable par-4 that played like a par-3 — lit McIlroy’s fuse.

“The guys in front of us were playing so slow. They were like a hole or hole and a half behind the group in front of them,” McIlroy said. “So yeah, that was a little frustrating.”

McIlroy, uncharacteristically, couldn’t contain his frustrations thereafter.

Read Volin’s instant analysis from Round 1 here.

Hadwin holds on, sole leader from Round 1 — 7:31 p.m.

Adam Hadwin posted a 4-under 66 Thursday and is in sole possession of first place.

Hadwin birdied five holes on the front nine and only bogeyed twice throughout the 18.

Mickelson ends 8-over 78 — 7:10 p.m.

A sour round wouldn’t be complete without a brutal missed par putt on the 18th hole. Phil Mickelson did just that to post a 8-over 78 in Thursday’s US Open Round 1.

Mickelson struggled throughout the day, especially on the 6th hole where he followed a strong 193-yard tee shot with a four-putt double-bogey.

Shane Lowry, who joined Mickelson on the course, ended 2-over 72. — Bardahl

Scheffler saves himself on final putt — 6:42 p.m.

Draining a 16-foot putt on his final hole, Scottie Scheffler saved himself from a round that looked like it would end 1-over par. Scheffler posted an even 70 in Round 1 of the US Open, four strokes back from the top.

Scheffler was joined by Brooks Koepka and Cameron Smith on the course. Koepka finished with a shaky 3-over 73 mark while Smith posted a 2-over 72. — Bardahl

Thomas posts 1-under 69 — 6:28 p.m.

PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas posted a 1-under 69 score at the conclusion of Round 1.

Thomas, a favorite heading into the US Open, cruised fairly under the radar Thursday. He posted three birdies and two bogeys en route to a score that leaves him two strokes back from the lead. — Bardahl

Lucky No. 8 — 6:20 p.m.

Despite being the second-longest on the course, the 8th hole has been the sweet spot of Round 1. Fifty-nine birdies have been tallied on the 557-yard par 5. Birdies are the most common score against the 50 pars, 14 bogeys and six eagles recorded. — Bardahl

Daffue joins 3-under crew — 5:55 p.m.

MJ Daffue joined the morning leaders with a 3-under 67 finish in Thursday’s 1st round at The Country Club. Daffue bogeyed holes 15, 16 and 18 but made up for it by posting twice as any birdies on the day.

Mickelson struggles continue — 5:50 p.m.

Through 13 holes, Phil Mickelson has six pars and just one birdie. His scorecard is plagued with bogeys, including two brutal double-bogeys on 6 and 12 that have sunk him to 7-over par. — Bardahl

Phil Mickelson of the United States looks on from the ninth tee during round one of the 122nd U.S. Open Championship at The Country Club.Patrick Smith/Getty

What’s happening on 10 and 12? — 5:36 p.m.

As golfers continue through Round 1, holes 10 and 12 seem to be posing the most challenges on the course.

On the 10th hole, 52 golfers bogeyed while just six posted a birdie. The 499-yard hole has an average 4.393 score.

Running parallel to the 10th hole is the next most challenging hole of the day. The 12th hole has resulted in 52 bogeys and just seven birdies. The average score is a 4.472. — Bardahl

Fitzpatrick continues to heat up — 5:08 p.m.

Chipping in a long birdie shot on No. 12, Matt Fitzpatrick dropped to 3-under par and one shot off the lead. Fitzpatrick, the young Englishman who won the US Amateur title here in 2013, earned a huge roar from the crowd as he pumped his fist in celebration. — Sullivan

Adam Hadwin sole leader at 4-under — 4:55 p.m.

After three-straight birdies (five total on his front nine) Canadian Adam Hadwin gained sole possession of first place at 4-under par.

Hadwin shot a 31 through nine holes, posting a bogey only on the 3rd. The 34-year-old has one once on the PGA Tour and twice on the Canadian Tour. — Bardahl

Fitzpatrick feelin’ comfortable — 4:37 p.m.

Matt Fitzpatrick, 27, joined the leaderboard at 3-under par after his front nine holes.

Fitzpatrick is familiar with The Country Club after winning the 2013 US Amateur, and he played up his familiarity with a birdie on holes 5, 8 and 9.

Adam Hadwin of Canada is the other afternoon tee to join the first place tie. — Bardahl

Justin Rose celebrates in 1999 Ryder Cup fashion — 4:30 p.m.

Justin Rose made a 48-yard putt for birdie on 17 and celebrated in way Brookline fans found familiar. Rose smiled and punched his fists in the air, resembling Justin Leonard’s reaction to making a similar putt in the 1999 Ryder Cup.

Rose carried the magic onto the 18th, where he recorded his fifth birdie of the round, bringing himself to 2-under. — Bardahl

Sixth hole meltdown for Phil — 3:53 p.m.

After a beautiful first shot on the 6th hole par 3, maybe his best of the day, Phil Mickelson imploded. When his next shot rolled far and fast past the hole, his ensuing putt came way too far back the other way. Then he lipped it out twice, finally tapping in for a double bogey that moved him to 5-over par. — Sullivan

Justin Thomas picks up his game — 3:50 p.m.

Through the front nine holes Justin Thomas is 1-under 34.

Thomas played catch-up after a bogey on the 4th hole put him 1-over. He birdied holes 6 and 8 to gain momentum heading into the back nine. — Bardahl

Keegan Bradley leads local finishers — 3:23 p.m.

Keegan Bradley leads the four local competitors after the first round at The Country Club. Bradley, who threw the first pitch at the Red Sox game on Tuesday, finished an even-par 70.

Fran Quinn of Holden finished 6-over 76. Quinn is also the oldest golfer in the field. Michael Thorbjornsen, 20, of Wellesley was just behind, posting 7-over 77.

Rounding out the locals was Caleb Manuel of Topsham, Maine. Manuel posted a 13-over 83. — Bardahl

More: It’s a small group, but there are local rooting interests for New Englanders in this US Open

PGA Tour Commissioner in attendance — 3:05 p.m.

PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, a Boston native, was spotted in the crowd mainly listening, in a conversation with Sean O’Flaherty, agent of Rory McIlroy. — Silverman

Through four holes, Mickelson is 2-over — 3:00 p.m.

Phil Mickelson, one of the weekend’s most anticipated golfers, is shooting 2-over par through his first four holes. He bogeyed holes 1 and 3 and parred holes 2 and 4 in front of a welcoming crowd. — Bardahl

Kevin Na surges out to tie for lead, then double bogeys — 2:55 p.m.

Kevin Na, who is among the golfers who resigned their PGA Tour cards to play in the LIV Series, surged out to 3-under through five (he started on No. 10). But a double-bogey on the 15th hole really blew things up for him. He’s in a threesome with Sergio Garcia and Tyrrell Hatton. — McInerney

How to play The Country Club — 2:30 p.m.

ICYMI: Check out this interactive on how to approach each hole at The Country Club, with insights from those who have golfed the course — including TCC caddies.

Braving the merchandise tent — 2:19 p.m.

At first glance, the enormous merchandise tent near the 18th fairway at The Country Club appears to be the kind of place those who dislike crowded places would want to avoid at all costs. Simply put, it has been packed all day Thursday.

It immediately reminded me of the massive souvenir shops I encountered at the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, although there were no lines of people who were just waiting to get inside.

Once indoors, there is merchandise everywhere, along with people on their cell phones saying things like “What size does dad wear” and “Do you think Aunt Suzy would like green or yellow?”

The merchandise tent at The Country Club was packed all day Thursday for the first round of the US Open.Matt Pepin

It’s hard to say what are the most popular items because there are customers everywhere buying t-shirts ($35) and hats ($29) with the US Open and The Country Club branding. There are also sections for golf attire, golf knick-knacks like ball markers, towels, and bag tags, and home decor items like posters and illustrations, signs, and flags.

The good news: the checkout process looks daunting with Disney-like queues that run back-and-forth before you get to a bank of cashiers, but in fact it moves along really quickly and smoothly. I waited just a couple minutes to buy a couple souvenirs. — Pepin

Afternoon players to watch — 2:15 p.m.

The afternoon groups are teeing off now. The last tee time is at 2:42 p.m. Here’s who to watch:

Justin Thomas 1:14 p.m.; Brooks Koepka, Scottie Scheffler, 1:25 p.m. (from 10th tee); Matt Fitzpatrick, Dustin Johnson, 1:36 p.m.; Phil Mickelson, Shane Lowy, 1:47 p.m.; Bryson DeChambeau 1:47 p.m. (10th tee). — Bardahl

Morning rounds complete — 2:13 p.m.

The last golfers of the morning tee times are completing the final leg of their rounds and Rory McIlroy, Callum Tarren, Joel Dahmen and David Lingmerth share the leaderboard at 3-under 67.

Holes 9 (427-yard par 4), 10 (499-yard par 4) and 12 (473-yard par 4) caused the most trouble with several golfers recording bogeys. — Bardahl

Phil Mickelson tees off with huge crowd in tow — 2:11 p.m.

“I don’t see him anymore.” “He’s taking forever.”

The crowd around the teebox on the first hole was at least five deep in every direction as Phil Mickelson approached the hole. A quick, quiet wave of cheers broke out as the golfer — who is in the spotlight this week because of his decision to play in the controversial LIV Series.

As he took off up the green, the fans started to pick up. “I love you, Phil!” one yelled. He flashed at least a half-dozen thumbs ups as he walked past.

Mickelson’s threesome includes Louis Oosthuizen and Shane Lowry. — McInerney

Greens are fast and loose — 1:31 p.m.

The putting surfaces at The Country Club are lightning fast. To put it in perspective, both of the balls on the 17th green in this photo landed within 4 feet of the hole, but spun back and then rolled down an incline, leaving each player a considerable birdie putt. One landed 4 feet past the hole but ended up more than 30 feet away.

Both players, possibly gun-shy based on their second shots or previous experience on the greens, left their uphill birdie putts short. — Pepin

Matt Pepin

Hagestad closes out with three bogeys — 1:23 p.m.

Haven’t been counting, but the crowd doesn’t appear to be overflowing. Seating around greens has been about half full on average. The seating around 18th hole is sparse — maybe 10 people as Hagestad-Murray-Schenk approach.

Hagestad’s drive off 18th went outside the ropes, wide right, while Schenk went left, into the fescue.

Hagestad finished his day bogeying the final three holes to finish 3-over. — Silverman

McIlroy bogeys final hole, finishes first round tied for first — 1:13 p.m.

Rory McIlroy was within reach of a bogey-free first round on Thursday until the last hole spoiled his scorecard.On the 9th, McIlroy lost his 4-under lead by posting a score of 5. He ended the day 3-under 67, tied with Callum Tarren and David Lingmerth. — Bardahl

Frustrating day for Murray continues — 1:09 p.m.

Grayson Murray hit beautiful 2nd shot on 17 that landed near the pin — then rolled back 50 feet. After standing w hands on hips in disbelief, Murray threw his club at his bag (again).

Hagestad nearly birdied on 17th, his shot from the bunker just a little off. At least it didn’t roll halfway off the green like Murray’s. — Silverman

Schenk heating up — 1:02 p.m.

Adam Schenk is heating up, just sank a long 30 foot or so putt on 16 for a birdie to pull even. Hagestad, meanwhile, is trending opposite direction, bogeying here, to go 1 over.

Not sure if its’s just this corner of the course but the wind is really gusting, 20 miles per hour or so. — Silverman

Update on ball thieves on 18 — 12:57 p.m.

Stop thief! Or thieves as it were.

That should have been the gallery crowds’ cry on the 18th hole Thursday when a pair of kids stole Jon Rahm’s drive on the final hole of his first round of the US Open at The Country Club.

“Yes. Yeah, yeah – Somebody – I’m pretty sure I know who it was. I recognized the two kids that were running the opposite way with smiles on their faces,’’ the defending champion said with a smile. “I am 100 percent sure I saw the two kids that stole it.’’

With the help of Paul Azinger from the TV tower, who saw Rahm’s ball land left — and the absconders take off — his ball was replaced and he birdied the hole to complete his 1-under-par 69.

“I’m just really happy somebody spotted the ball first. We knew exactly where it was,’’ Rahm said. “Off the tee I was comfortable. I was past all the trees. It was downwind, and that’s why it kind of took — I wasn’t trying to go that far left, but I was trying to take it over the trees and over the bunkers.’’

After receiving the free relief, Rahm had 135 yards to the pin and plopped his shot on and sank the putt for his fourth birdie of the round — slightly reminiscent of how he sealed last year’s Open victory. — McBride

A quadruple bogey … ouch — 12:51 p.m.

Florida’s Keith Greene had a heck of a time navigating the 10th hole, and ended up with a quadruple bogey. His first three shots got him onto the green on the 500-yard par 4. That’s when things unraveled. He chipped his fourth shot over the green, and it took two strokes to get himself within a foot of the hole. Then he missed a one-foot put on his seventh stroke before holing in eight. Eek. — McInerney

Fan interferes with Jon Rahm’s errant shot — 12:29 p.m.

Interesting situation when Jon Rahm’s tee shot landed by the NBC booth at the 18th tower under the fence, where a fan ran over and took the ball. After a drop, Rahm was able to make the green on his next shot and went on to birdie the hole to finish his round with a 1-under 69. — Mahoney

McIlroy sinks birdie at 7 — 12:15 p.m.

Rory McIlroy joined Taren and Lingmerth in the lead at 3-under after draining a putt on 7. — Mahoney

Eagle for Barnes on 17th — 12:05 p.m.

Callum Tarren finishes first round with 67 — 12:00 p.m.

Callum Tarren of England posted the first score of the US Open, and an impressive one at that. In just his second major tournament appearance, Tarren is at the top of the leaderboard with David Lingmerth at 3-under. — Bardahl

Crowd growing for Hagestad — 11:48 a.m.

Crowd slowly growing for Hagestad, who seems very at ease. Talks to himself, more smiles than frowns, even after bogey on 12.

Before his 2nd shot from the 13th fairway, Hagestad spotted Chris Quick, whose Nantucket house he stayed in last year when he won the USGA mid-amateur.

Turns out an errant Adam Schenk shot clipped Quick.

Hagestad went over to hug Quick and ask “You got hit? Hope it wasn’t your head.”

Noted Quick “This guys good, he’s legit.” — Silverman

Rory McIlroy saves himself on hole 5 — 11:47 a.m.

McIlroy struggled to escape a tricky placement in the rough on the 5th hole. He slammed his club in frustration after hitting the ball just inches from where it was and into the bunker ahead of him.

The Irishman saved his misstep with a putt for par and remains at -2. — Bardahl

Hagestad, Lingmerth tied for lead — 11:22 a.m.

Amateur Stewart Hagestad briefly had the lead to himself after he birdied the 11th with a putter almost as tall as he is [6-5] to go 3-under. David Lingmerth birdied on five to take a share of the lead. — Silverman.

Fifth causing fits — 11:16 a.m.

Amateur William Mouw records an eagle — 11:09 a.m.

Rough stretch for Murray — 10:59 a.m.

Grayson Murray, playing with amateur Stewart Hagestad, at -2, and Adam Schenk, E, flipped his putter in the air after bogeying No. 9 to go 3-over.

He wasn’t any happier after his tee shot on the 10th landed in the rough. That shot earned a disgusted shove of his club back in the bag. — Silverman

Plenty of support for the Celtics on the course — 10:44 a.m.

By Jim McBride and Ben Volin

There’s been plenty of support for the Celtics at The County Club.

New Englander Keegan Bradley, who spent his early years in Vermont and graduated from Holliston High, wore green and gold shoelaces during the round.

Ireland’s Shane Lowry had a Celtics logo complete with the familiar shamrock on the back of his shirt – he even tweeted a picture of his duds.

Maxwell Moldovan grew up outside of Akron, Ohio and is a rising junior at Ohio State, but planned on wearing a green shirt for Thursday.

That’s because Moldovan, 20, is a huge Celtics fan. For Game 5 on Monday night, Moldovan and his caddy went downtown to feel the energy around TD Garden and watched the game from Banners Kitchen and Tap.

“I just fell in love watching Rajon Rondo. I love how he played the game,” Moldovan said. “Isaiah Thomas was somebody I loved. Now Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. I just love the team.”

Moldovan was hoping he could get to Game 6 on Thursday night, but it wasn’t meant to be.

“I’ve always wanted to go to a game at the Garden, and had that chance on Thursday until I got my 6:56 (a.m.) on Friday,” he said. “Hopefully we get a big lead in the first half and I can go to bed.”

Hagestad gets share of the lead — 10:29 a.m.

Amateur Stewart Hagestad birdied on 7 to move to 3-under and in a tie with Morikawa and NeSmith. — Mahoney

Related: It hasn’t happened since 1913, but can a first-timer win the US Open this week?

First eagle of the tournament — 10:25 a.m.

McIlroy birdies 18th hole — 10:09 a.m.

Rory McIlroy is one back at the turn after his birdie on 18 put him at 2-under. — Mahoney

Spieth rallying after rough start — 10:03 a.m.

After bogeying three of the first four holes, Jordan Spieth has birdied three of the last five to get down to 1-over at the turn. — Mahoney

9th hole: Morikawa birdies, Rahm bogies — 9:50 a.m.

Just as Rahm had pulled into a tie for the lead, he bogeyed the ninth hole after Morikawa birdied. Matthew NeSmith birdied on 11 to join Morikawa at 3-under. — Mahoney

Rahm grabs share of the lead — 9:35 a.m.

Jon Rahm birdied the eighth hole to move to 2-under. It was his third birdie in the last four holes. — Mahoney

Hole to watch: No. 14 — 9:15 a.m.

One hole to watch is No. 14. The approach is blind. And in this photo from Ben Volin, you can really see that US Open rough we’ve been talking about. — McInerney

Morikawa off to quick start — 9:05 a.m.

Collin Morikawa, who is in a threesome with Jon Rahm and James Piot, is 2-under through six after birdies on 2 and 5.

He’s tied for the lead at 9:05 a.m. with Matthew NeSmith, who’s playing in just his second major. NeSmith is through eight. Russell Henley is also 2-under, through 4. — McInerney

A tough start for Jordan Spieth — 8:40 a.m.

Jordan Spieth has reportedly been battling a tough stomach bug, but decided to stay in the field for this week’s US Open.

He’s off to a difficult start: He’s 3-over through 4 after bogeying three of the first four holes. — McInerney

Today’s pin locations — 8:30 a.m.

Here’s a look at the pin locations for Thursday:

Thursday's pin locationsUSGA

For some caddies, the US Open is a week they’ll never forget — 8:20 a.m.

If you see a golfer with the name “Mueller” at The Country Club this week, feel free to shout, “Good luck, Jesse!” The golfer and caddie will both appreciate it.

Jesse Mueller, the head club pro at Grand Canyon University, will make his second career start in the US Open Thursday. On the bag will be his wife, Jessie Mueller.

Jesse and Jessie are the only husband/wife team at this week’s championship. They had to enlist neighbors and family members to take care of their children and dog back home in Phoenix.

“It’s not an experience most people get to have,” Jessie Mueller said. “I like that I can talk to him and be on the course instead of being behind the ropes.”

Read the rest of the story from Ben Volin.

The uncertain future of pro golf — 8:10 a.m.

As the US Open gets underway Thursday at The Country Club in Brookline, the foundation of professional golf has never been on shakier ground. Rocked by internal division and exposed by a public power struggle, there is a decidedly uncertain future ahead.

With the new Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf Series on one side, all drenched in moral turpitude and blood money, and the old PGA Tour on the other, all puffed up on its moral high ground and corporate money, there is little room for the average golf fan to find footing.

And that’s not good for anyone.

“It’s sad,” is how Justin Thomas put it Monday. “This is the US Open, and this is an unbelievable venue, a place with so much history, an unbelievable field, so many story lines, and yet that seems to be what all the questions are about.

“That’s unfortunate. That’s not right to the USGA. That’s not right for the US Open. That’s not right for us players. But that’s, unfortunately, where we’re at right now.”

Read the rest of Tara Sullivan’s column.

Hole to watch: No. 11 — 8:00 a.m.

The Country Club’s 11th hole is a 131-yard par-3 that USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer said could be “a focal point of the championship.”

Peter and Maria Hoey

During Wednesday’s practice rounds, Scottie Scheffler came just inches from the cup on his tee shot. The Masters champion was grouped with PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas and Sam Burns.

Stacked with the year’s two major champions, the group proved to be one to follow.

Scheffler followed by sinking a long putt on the 12th hole. Thomas almost followed suit, stroking a putt from the back corner of the green that veered just left of the cup.

On No. 15, Burns and Thomas each bombed 290-yard drives into the fairway of the 510-yard par-4. — Jayna Bardahl

No. 20 ranked Abraham Ancer withdraws — 7:50 a.m.

Abraham Ancer of Mexico has withdrawn from the US Open. The USGA said it was because of an illness.

Ancer is ranked No. 20 in the world golf rankings.

Patton Kizzire of Tuscaloosa, Ala., replaced him as the first alternate. Kizzrie qualified for the US Open at the Roswell, Ga., final qualifying tournament. It is Kizzrie’s third US Open. — Matt Pepin

Jordan Spieth tees off — 7:45 a.m.

Jordan Spieth, playing with Max Homa and Adam Scott in the 7:29 a.m. group, hit off the first tee to begin his first round.

Spieth was rumored to have a stomach bug yesterday, but is out on the course. — Katie McInerney

The US Open is the most difficult mental test in golf, and that’s the way the USGA likes it — 7:40 a.m.

Sepp Straka hits from the 10th tee.Patrick Smith/Getty

To get a better feel for what might unfold the next four days when The Country Club hosts the US Open for just the third time since 1913 when Francis Ouimet practically put the game on the map, it is prudent to go to those who sort of know the landscape. Jon Rahm is the defending champion, Brooks Koepka in 2018 became just the seventh to successfully defend his title, so they boast what we call “creds.”

“I knew it coming in, but [they’re] not the biggest greens out there, right?” was a definitive rhetorical question by Rahm. “And the rough around the greens is about as healthy as I’ve seen in a while.”

Said Koepka with a wry smile, “I love it, man. It’s a tough test. I don’t like these 25-under [tournaments] where you have to shoot 60 every round just to compete. I like it when it’s a battle. That’s kind of my style.”

So, the boxes are checked: Small greens. Thick, lush rough. Mental fortitude.

But that only partly explains how it is that the US Open has brought forth a product that is remarkably consistent.

Read the rest from Jim McCabe.

The first golfers are underway — 7:30 a.m.

Hello! Massachusetts’ first US Open since 1988 is underway. The first golfers teed off at 6:45 a.m.

That group included Wellesley’s Michael Thorbjornsen, the Massachusetts Amateur champion. The junior at Stanford hopes he can capture some Ouimet magic.

The USGA designed the tee times so a Massachusetts player hit the first shots off each tee. Thorbjornsen started on No. 1 and Fran Quinn of Holden was in the first group on No. 10.

Quinn found himself atop the leaderboard in the early stages when he birdied No. 11 by draining and 11-foot putt, but he gave the shot back when he bogeyed No. 13.

It’s a sun-splashed, bluebird day for the start of the competition, and fans are rolling in steadily. The USGA couldn’t have asked for better conditions for the opening round. — Matt Pepin

Follow Andrew Mahoney on Twitter @GlobeMahoney. Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com. Jayna Bardahl was a Globe intern in 2022. Follow her on Twitter @Jaynabardahl. Katie McInerney can be reached at katie.mcinerney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter at @k8tmac.

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