SOUTHAMPTION, N.Y. -- Dustin Johnson shot a 1-under 69 in Round 1 of the 2018 U.S. Open, which was seven strokes better than the field average and good enough to share the lead. Joining him atop the leaderboard after 18 holes of play at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club are Scott Piercy, Russell Henley and Ian Poulter.
Johnson shot a semi-wild 33 on the front nine (see more below) before closing with a 1-over 36 on the back for the 69. It might not look like much, but on a day when conditions combined with some mega-tucked pins, Johnson's 1-under score is stout. Even more so given that, you know, he's the No. 1 player in the world.
"I'm very pleased with the round," said Johnson. "Anything under par on this golf course is very good, especially in the conditions we have today. I felt like, you know, from start to finish, it was very difficult."
Just as every Masters runs through Jordan Spieth, I believe every U.S. Open runs through D.J. He seems to possess whatever clandestine quality it is that a golfer needs to win major championships and slay courses the magnitude of Oakmont (2016) and Shinnecock (2018). He does everything. He has every answer.
And on Thursday, he got a couple of terrific breaks.
First, on the par-4 6th hole, just after making two straight birdies, Johnson let his drive release into some fescue so tall that it might conceal one of his two toddlers. As a mass of people searched for the ball, somebody stepped on it and Johnson got a free drop. A bogey there could have been (a lot) worse. Then at the par-4 8th, Johnson hit a lousy approach after playing partners Justin Thomas and Tiger Woods stuck theirs to within birdie range. Johnson, though, was the only one who made birdie when he holed out from the bunker. It's rare that his shot would be the only one of the three rewarded, but that's how Round 1 went for him.
Of course, he also hit some absolute missiles, which led to stress-free pars, a nice luxury on a day like Thursday when the wind howled and the greens baked. Now he's in control of the tournament. He's a heavy Las Vegas favorite to take his U.S. Open in three years, and while there's still a long way to go, Johnson doesn't have many thoroughbreds running with him. He might not win this week, but it's pretty easy to see him winning.
Every aspect of D.J.'s game impresses -- he's No. 1 on the PGA Tour in strokes gained overall for a reason -- but his short game was especially magnificent on Thursday. Playing with one of the better short-game wizards on the PGA Tour (Thomas) and one of the better short-game players ever (Woods), D.J. shined. He only hit nine greens in regulation and still kept it under par. That's how you win majors.
You could feel the buzz, too. D.J. taking Oakmont an Shinnecock in three years? Is that really going to happen? The good folks in attendance in Round 1 could sense him rising up the leaderboard as the tournament unfurled in front of them.
As I walked one of the great courses in the country, a laid-back Southampton crowd prodded Johnson, Thomas and Woods. In a tuft of silence, I heard one fan gasp as D.J. swaggered past.
"When God created man, he created that. That's Adam."
No, that's Dustin. And he co-leads the U.S. Open.
