JOURNAL SPORTS
OAKMONT, Pa. – Sam Burns had a spectacular, and frustrating, opening round Thursday as the U.S. Open golf championship began.
Fellow Shreveport native Philip Barbaree Jr. did not enjoy any spectacular moments, but he stands alongside some of the game’s top players heading into today’s second round.
Burns quickly surged into contention for the lead on both nines, but struggled home each time. Reaching 3-under par on the front and back sides, he bogeyed five holes and carded a double bogey on the par-3 16th in a topsy-turvy round that had him as high as second place before he finished tied for 33rd with a two-over par 72 at fabled Oakmont Country Club.
Barbaree is in a group tied for 98th at six-over 76 – alongside major champions Justin Thomas and Jason Day, and a shot above another superstar major winner, Justin Rose.
Before doubling the 16th, mired in thick rough less than 10 feet off the putting surface and unable to get his second shot to the green, Burns was in fifth place with three holes left.
The former Calvary Baptist player and two-time LSU All-American birdied the brutal opening hole and added another 3 on a pitch shot to birdie the par-4 third, then added a birdie on No. 5 to get to 3-under for the first time. But bogeys on the eighth and ninth slowed him, although he remained in the top 10.
Burns, who now lives in Choudrant and plays out of Squire Creek Country Club, birdied the par-5 12th and added another bird on the par-4 14th to again move to the brink of the tournament lead (4-under by J.J. Spaun, who played in the morning while Burns went around in the afternoon).
But the taxing layout took a toll coming in. After a bogey at 15 came the double bogey on 16 and closing 5s for bogeys on 17 and 18.
Barbaree, with an early tee time Thursday, suffered two double bogeys, on the par-5 fourth on the heels of a bogey a hole earlier, and on the final hole. He also bogeyed Nos. 10 and 14 but bounced back with his only birdie on 15.
Burns’ five birdies were second-best in the field of 156 players. It will be reduced to the top 60 and ties after today’s second round.
Burns’ group has an early morning tee time today. Nico Echavarria, Denny McCarthy and Burns go off the 10th hole at 6:29 CDT.
Barbaree’s threesome with Riley Lewis and Brady Calkins will be the last to start today, at 1:42, also on the 10th tee.
Live TV coverage from Oakmont begins on Peacock at 5:30 a.m. CDT with NBC covering the tournament from noon-6 p.m. with Peacock back from 6-7 p.m., and post-play coverage on Golf Channel.
Weekend coverage will begin on USA Network and then move to NBC.