PGA

As the PGA Tour loses high-profile players to LIV Golf, the organization is preparing some changes to increase player satisfaction, per ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

The PGA Tour will reportedly introduce a revamped schedule in time for the 2023 season that will include increased purses of at least $20 million for marquee events. The tour will also add three events with limited fields, no cuts and a purse over $25 million.

These will try to help the tour compete with Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf, which features three-round tournaments with no cuts and guaranteed money for all competitors.

Brooks Koepka and Abraham Ancer became the latest golfers to join LIV Golf on Tuesday, per Schlabach, following Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Patrick Reed and more.

The PGA Tour previously announced it would suspend all players who compete in LIV Golf.

The tour's current payouts make it difficult to compete with the upstart league. The inaugural event in London featured a $25 million purse and $4 million to winner Charl Schwartzel, and the last-place finisher among the 48 golfers earned $120,000.

Matt Fitzpatrick made $3.15 million for winning the U.S. Open last week, the most ever for that event, while many notables who missed the cut ended up with nothing.

Purses for regular PGA Tour events are usually much lower. The upcoming Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, totals $8.3 million. The increased pay next season, including some events with guaranteed money, could entice more players to stay.

The Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Players Championship and the Memorial Tournament are reportedly among the events that would see a boost in payouts.

Other changes could include a return to a calendar-year schedule with events beginning in January. This would provide a true offseason compared to the current wraparound schedule that begins in September.

Last season, Patrick Cantlay won the Tour Championship finale Sept. 5. Two weeks later, Max Homa won the Fortinet Championship as the first event of the 2022 season. Any golfer who wanted to wait until January to begin play for 2022 would be four months behind in the points standings.

These potential changes come after a meeting Tuesday between players and PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

Collin Morikawa will not become the latest PGA Tour golfer to defect for LIV Golf.

To state for the record, once again, you all are absolutely wrong. I’ve said it since February at Riviera that I’m here to stay on the @PGATOUR and nothing has changed. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some cereal to pour in my milk

— Collin Morikawa (@collin_morikawa) June 21, 2022

"The rumors about Collin are categorically false," Morikawa's agent, Andrew Kipper, added to Dan Rapaport of Golf Digest.

Last week, Jeff Kimber of Golf Monthly reported that a group of golfers, including Morikawa, were considering a move to LIV. Brooks Koepka, one of the names on that list, became the latest defector Tuesday, per Mark Schlabach of ESPN.

Abraham Ancer is also reportedly set to join the fledging golf tour.

LIV Golf has landed several high-profile names with promises of massive payouts and initial signing bonuses. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau are some of the sport's most notable stars to defect, receiving a subsequent PGA Tour ban.

The LIV tour has generated controversy because of its financial backing from the Saudi Arabia government. Saudi officials have been accused of numerous human rights violations, including involvement in the assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Golfers who left for LIV Golf have largely deflected any questions about the Saudi government and accusations of "sportswashing."

In February, Mickelson apologized for comments he made admitting the Saudis have a "horrible record on human rights" but expressing support for the new tour because of the changes it could make for golf. Mickelson took several months off competitive golf after the comments before making his return as part of the LIV tour.

Sunday was another story of what could have been for Will Zalatoris.

The 25-year-old finished one stroke behind Matt Fitzpatrick at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. He just missed a 14-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have forced a playoff, which meant a third second-place finish in nine major starts.

"This one, in particular, hurts pretty hard," he told reporters. "I'm three shots away from practically being a—having a chance of being a three-time major champion. A bounce here or there."

Zalatoris finished in second place in the 2021 Masters and second place in this year's PGA Championship with the latter coming after he fell short in a playoff against Justin Thomas. He has six top-10 finishes in those nine major starts but is yet to win a PGA Tour tournament.

Fitzpatrick found himself in a similar situation with a resume that included zero wins but 22 top-10s and multiple second-place finishes in 105 tour events.

That changed Sunday, but it appeared as if Scottie Scheffler would take home the title when he jumped out to a lead with four birdies on the first six holes of the final round. Just when it looked like he might run away with it, he bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11 and didn't notch another birdie until the 17th.

It was part of a back-and-forth day with Zalatoris posting bogeys on two of his first three holes only to bounce back with four birdies in a six-hole stretch from Nos. 6 through 11 to take the lead.

Fitzpatrick took an opposite approach with a red-hot start of birdies on Nos. 3, 5 and 8 but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11.

The biggest swing came on the 15th when Fitzpatrick birdied following a beautiful approach shot and Zalatoris ended up with a bogey. The eventual runner-up dialed up the pressure one more time with a birdie on the 16th to pull within one stroke, but Fitzpatrick unleashed the shot of the tournament on the 18th when he found the green on his second despite hitting his drive in the fairway bunker.

Fitzpatrick hit 17 of 18 greens in Sunday's final round but still needed Zalatoris to miss his birdie putt on 18 to secure the championship.

"I'm not happy with finishing second," Zalatoris said. "I'm obviously trying to make it. The comfort level is there, especially now that I know I can do this. I just have to keep waiting my turn."

His turn almost came Sunday.

Matt Fitzpatrick just added another storybook ending into the annals of PGA history after winning his first-ever major championship at the 2022 U.S. Open.

With the victory, he’s only the second player to win a U.S. Amateur title and the U.S. Open on the same course since Jack Nicklaus, who did it back in 1972.

Heading into the final round of play at The Country Club at Brookline, Massachusetts, on Sunday, the 27-year-old Englishman shared the lead with Will Zalatoris and had a one-stroke lead over Jon Rahm after 54 holes.

But Fitzpatrick separated himself from the pack by delivering one of the greatest ball-striking rounds ever by hitting 17 out of 18 greens before capping it off by two-putting for par to finish the tournament at six under.

Zalatoris needed a birdie on the 18th to send it to an aggregate playoff, but he missed the putt to the left, leaving him to finish tied for second with Scottie Scheffler.

After his breakthrough win at Brookline, Fitzpatrick, who sits at No. 18 player on the Official World Golf Rankings, will take home a hefty $3,150,000 for his troubles.

Here's the final breakdown of how the top 10 players on the leaderboard will split the $17.5 million purse.

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2022 U.S. Open Leaderboard and Payouts

1. Matt Fitzpatrick (-6), $3,150,000

T2. Scottie Scheffler (-5), $1,890,000

T2. Will Zalatoris (-5), $1,225,374

4. Hideki Matsuyama (-3), $859,032

T5. Rory McIlroy (-2), $715,491

T5. Collin Morikawa (-2), $634,415

T7. Keegan Bradley (-1), $571,950

T7. Denny McCarthy (-1), $512,249

T7. Adam Hadwin (-1), $463,604

10. Gary Woodland (E), $425,830

---

Fitzpatrick Will Never Forget His First

It took nine years, but Sunday’s win at Brookline was indeed a full circle moment for Fitzpatrick.

The Englishman took home the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club back in 2013 and won his first major at the same club in 2022.

Familiarity had to play a part, but it was the ball-striking masterclass and his penchant for making a boatload of putts that helped him edge out the lead over Scheffler and Zalatoris in the final round.

He made it look easy, but according to the man himself, it wasn’t a walk in the park by a long shot.

https://twitter.com/usopengolf/status/1538655291171999744

“With it being a major, it's quite different than a regular PGA Tour event,” Fitzpatrick told ESPN’s Mark Schlabach. “At the end of the day, they're just really hard to win. I think up until Southern Hills, really, I didn't really appreciate how hard it is actually to win a major. Yeah, I've not challenged, really, up until then.

“I think, myself included, and people on the outside maybe think it's easier than it is. You just have to look at Tiger [Woods]. He knocked off so many in such a quick span. That's why I think people think, 'Oh, it's a piece of cake; it's like a regular Tour event.' But it's not.”

Now that he’s won his first major tournament in the United States, there’s a chance that he gets a higher seeding on the Official World Golf Rankings to go along with all of the plaudits that are sure to start coming his way.

But Fitzpatrick wasn’t the only one to break through at Brookline.

All yours, Billy. 😘 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ekIdjgq6IA

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 19, 2022

His caddie, Billy Foster, also got his first major win on Sunday after more than 30 years on the Tour.

How’s that for storybook endings?

Matt Fitzpatrick is a major champion for the first time.

The 27-year-old won the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Sunday.

Fitzpatrick finished at six under, one shot better than Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler. He carded a two-under 68 in the final round.

Breakthrough at Brookline 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏆@MattFitz94 is a @USOpenGolf champion. pic.twitter.com/r4OhJIGFVE

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2022

A two-stroke swing between Fitzpatrick and Zalatoris on the 15th hole was the day's turning point. They both hit their tee shots into the rough, but their fortunes diverged on their second shots.

Fitzpatrick landed onto the green and left himself with a 19-foot birdie putt. Zalatoris found the sand. One birdie and one bogey later, Fitzpatrick was two shots clear in first place.

Two shots in front and the family loves it! 👏@MattFitz94 leads the #USOpen with three holes to play. pic.twitter.com/y3M4LVCfil

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 19, 2022

With one hole to play, Fitzpatrick's cushion had shrunk to one shot. That at least afforded him some margin for error as he made the one mistake he could ill afford on No. 18. He hooked his tee shot into a fairway bunker.

Knowing a par was still enough to likely avoid a playoff, Fitzpatrick unleashed a masterful approach that put him only 18 feet from the cup. He two-putted his way to par to remain at six under.

That left the door cracked slightly open for Zalatoris, who was standing 14 feet away from a birdie opportunity. His putt missed left by centimeters, securing the title for Fitzpatrick.

https://twitter.com/usopengolf/status/1538655291171999744

---

2022 U.S. Open Leaderboard

1. Matt Fitzpatrick (-6)

T-2. Scottie Scheffler (-5)

T-2. Will Zalatoris (-5)

4. Hideki Matsuyama (-3)

T-5. Collin Morikawa (-2)

T-5. Rory McIlroy (-2)

T-7. Adam Hadwin (-1)

T-7. Denny McCarthy (-1)

T-7. Keegan Bradley (-1)

T-10. Gary Woodland (E)

T-10. Joel Dahmen (E)

Full leaderboard available at PGATour.com

---

The Country Club has been unforgiving all tournament, and the top six golfers were separated by two shots heading into the final round. The stage was set for a dramatic finish Sunday.

With the top performers hitting the halfway mark, the U.S. Open had turned into a three-horse race between Fitzpatrick, Scheffler and Zalatoris. Fitzpatrick was sitting at six under, with Scheffler and Zalatoris tied at five under. Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama and Denny McCarthy were all six shots back of Fitzpatrick and quickly running out of time to improve their scores.

A poor approach on No. 17 was costly for Matsuyama. His shot didn't reach the green and rolled into the rough as he eventually settled for a par. Things would've gotten a little more interesting if he had walked up to the 18th tee at four under.

As his back nine got underway, Scheffler was trending in the wrong direction following a strong start to the round. Through six holes, he gained four strokes to move to six under overall. But back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 10 and 11 dropped him to four under.

History was repeating itself one day after the 2022 Masters champion went four over on the back nine.

Two days in a row that the back 9 chews up Scottie Scheffler, especially the tiny little 11th hole

— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) June 19, 2022

Back-to-back bogeys for Scottie Scheffler.

He falls to -4. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ldVd7bzD6X

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 19, 2022

Scheffler quickly had company in Fitzpatrick, who also bogeyed the 10th and 11th holes.

These Matt Fitzpatrick fumbles in the 4th round are a spectacular tribute to the many Northwestern Football 4th quarters we’ve both watched.

— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) June 19, 2022

Zalatoris had the opportunity to tighten his grip on a two-shot lead but ceded more ground instead. His drive on No. 12 started left but sliced right, well into the heavy stuff alongside the fairway. That put him behind the eight ball, yet he still nearly saved par, as his putt was on line with the cup before veering left at the last moment.

Fitzpatrick capitalized on Zalatoris' errant tee shot. He was on the money with a 48-foot birdie putt to grab a share of first place at five under.

Clutch from 48 feet away 😤@MattFitz94 is tied for the lead at 5-under.pic.twitter.com/Xh79Ffvrj8

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2022

Win or lose today, the last two majors have swayed me on Fitzpatrick. Couldn’t be more impressed with his transformation.

— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterNS) June 19, 2022

Scheffler, meanwhile, was only one back yet couldn't build any positive momentum. When something finally broke right for him, it was effectively a wash because his birdie on No. 17 was only moments after Fitzpatrick birdied No. 15.

Rory McIlroy struggled with consistency in the final round, as he tallied three birdies and three bogeys on the front nine. He did, however, get back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15, helping him finish in a tie for fifth.

TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, is the next stop for the PGA Tour, with the Travelers Championship teeing off Thursday.

Soon enough, the next major tournament will be right around the corner. The Open Championship gets underway July 14 at the legendary St. Andrews Links in Scotland.

Jon Rahm had all of the momentum at 5-under par heading into the final hole of the third round of play at the 2022 U.S. Open, but fell back to third place after a double-bogey on No. 18.

Now a shot back of the lead held by Will Zalatoris and Matt Fitzpatrick, the No. 2-ranked golfer in the world will have to find a way to play his way back to the top of the leaderboard at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts on Sunday.

All told, there were seven different players who had the lead on Saturday, with Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick tied for first after 54 holes.

This is the first time either player has held the lead heading into the final round of a major championship.

Here's the latest breakdown of the $17.5 million purse to be paid out on Sunday based on the leaderboard at the end of the third round.

2022 U.S. Open Top 10 Payouts

Only 18 holes left to play at The Country Club. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/I9l6AmGNTf

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 19, 2022

1. Will Zalatoris (-4), $3,150,000

T1. Matt Fitzpatrick (-4), $1,890,000

3. Jon Rahm (-3), $1,225,374

4. Scottie Scheffler (-2), $859,032

T4. Keegan Bradley (-2), $715,491

T4. Adam Hadwin (-2), $634,415

7. Rory McIlroy (-1), $571,950

T7. Sam Burns (-1), $512,249

T7. Joel Dahmen (-1), $463,604

10. Nick Hardy (E), $425,830

Could Zalatoris or Fitzpatrick Get Their First Major at Brookline?

Everyone loves an underdog story and The Country Club at Brookline could be the next place to deliver one to golf fans worldwide.

Heading into the final round of play for the 2022 U.S. Open, Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick are sharing the lead.

What’s important to note about these two is the fact that both players, ranked No. 14 and No. 18, respectively, have yet to log a win on the PGA Tour, but have a legitimate shot to change that with only 18 holes left to play on Sunday.

Posting a three-under 67 on the 18th tee after bouncing back from a bunker, Zalatoris displayed the mettle he’s going to need to be crowned the U.S. Open champion.

https://twitter.com/usopengolf/status/1538327242471776256

“That 67 feels like a 61 or 62 in my book,” Zalatoris told Sky Sports. “That's some of the most solid golf I've played ever.”

Not to be outdone, Fitzpatrick, who closed out the third round with a bogey after a three-birdie stretch, will try to rely on experience to help propel him to victory on Sunday.

Back in 2013, the 27-year old golfer from the United Kingdom won the US Amateur at Brookline, so he’s accustomed to winning at The Country Club.

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it (winning). It would just mean the world,” Fitzpatrick told Phil Casey of Yahoo Sports. “It’s obviously a special place for me and to go one step further and win a US Open round here would be even more special.

Your outright leader at the #USOpen = @MattFitz94 🐦 pic.twitter.com/HcUJT0GPmf

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 18, 2022

“The US amateur was one of the biggest achievements in my career and still is, and if I won a major here tomorrow it would definitely overtake it. I’m excited to give myself another chance in a major…I am just really proud with the way I played.”

Both Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick will have to find a way to stave off Rahm, though, who is the defending champion and only one stroke behind.

Whether or not these two can finish strong in the final round or not, it’s going to be thrilling day on the course for golf fans, especially those celebrating Father's Day.

There are new leaders at the U.S. Open for the third consecutive day.

Will Zalatoris and Matthew Fitzpatrick have matching scores of four under par. Zalatoris had an efficient round with four birdies and just one bogey to put himself in prime position to win his first major tournament.

Fitzpatrick posted his second 68 in the past three days. He had a chance to take sole possession of the lead into the final round, but a bogey on No. 18 dropped him into a tie with Zalatoris.

Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen, who shared the lead after the second round, had their first real struggles of the tournament Saturday. Morikawa is no longer under par (+2) after posting a 77, tied for the eighth-worst score of the day.

Dahmen was much better by comparison with a 74 that moved him to one under.

Rory McIlroy is among a trio tied for seventh place at one under with 18 holes to play.

If history is any indication, things will continue to change on the leaderboard Sunday. There hasn't been a third-round leader or co-leader that went on to win the U.S. Open since Gary Woodland in 2019.

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2022 U.S. Open Leaderboard—3rd Round

T1. Matthew Fitzpatrick (-4)

T1. Will Zalatoris (-4)

3. Jon Rahm (-3)

T3. Keegan Bradley (-2)

T3. Adam Hadwin (-2)

T3. Scottie Scheffler (-2)

T7. Sam Burns (-1)

T7. Rory McIlroy (-1)

T7. Joel Dahmen (-1)

Full leaderboard via PGATour.com

---

Zalatoris did the bulk of his damage in the third round on the front nine. He had three birdies and one bogey during that span.

Here comes @WillZalatoris 📈

He's -2 thru 4.

2 shots back. pic.twitter.com/OafD02Gbbk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 18, 2022

Will Zalatoris posts a 3-under 67 in the third round of the U.S. Open and leads by one stroke.

Zalatoris is the first player today to card a score of 67 or better; there has been one 68 (Denny McCarthy).

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 18, 2022

The key to Zalatoris' success all weekend has been putting. It's a stark contrast from how he has fared in non-majors this season.

Zalatoris putting rankings in non-majors 2022: 58-64-60-58-57-30

(plus two MCs where he ranked near last over those two rounds)

Zalatoris putting rankings in majors 2022: 6-10-4

— Ben Coley (@BenColeyGolf) June 18, 2022

Zalatoris has seemingly been building to a huge breakout moment all season. He tied for sixth at the Masters and lost a playoff to Justin Thomas at the PGA Championship.

One more round like he had Saturday could be enough for Zalatoris to capture his first major title.

Fitzpatrick made a run on the back nine that briefly moved him atop the leaderboard at five under. The England native made three birdies in a stretch of four holes from No. 14 to No. 17.

Another birdie for @MattFitz94.

Three in his last four holes and a 1-shot lead @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/P2r15WFA1i

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 18, 2022

Even though a bogey on No. 18 was a bad note to end the day on, Fitzpatrick has given himself an opportunity to win with a strong showing otherwise.

Just a reminder that Matt Fitzpatrick has led the PGA Tour for most of this year in total strokes gained. (Rory McIlroy squeezed past him last weekend.) There really isn’t a much better barometer for measuring which players are playing the best golf.

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) June 18, 2022

Jon Rahm looked like he was going to be the leader heading into Sunday. He went on the same run as Fitzpatrick with three birdies in four holes from No. 14 to No. 17, dropping his overall score to five under.

Business as usual for the defending champ. @JonRahmPGA heads to the 18th hole with a 1-shot lead on Moving Day @USOpenGolf. pic.twitter.com/XOpTq1l8UD

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 18, 2022

Things went south for Rahm on No. 18. The defending U.S. Open champion found the bunker on the dogleg, and his first shot to get out of the sand didn't clear the lip. He posted a double-bogey six on the hole to fall into third place at three under.

Rahm's lie in the bunker on 18 ... pic.twitter.com/wggpedAwh6

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 18, 2022

Last year saw Rahm shoot one over in the third round and go into the final round three shots behind the leaders. He went four under the last day to win the tournament by one stroke.

The 27-year-old doesn't have as much ground to make up this time around. He's still in a great position to become the first player with back-to-back U.S. Open titles since Brooks Koepka (2017-2018).

Morikawa had a day to forget with four bogeys and two double bogeys. This was his worst single-round score in a major tournament in his tour career.

McIlroy didn't fare much better than Morikawa. The 33-year-old finished with a three-over 73 to fall three shots off the pace. He still has an opportunity to win or at least finish in the top 10 at this event for the fourth consecutive year.

The U.S. Open has historically been one of the most difficult events on the calendar every single year. There are only nine players under par heading into the final round.

Given how The Country Club course has played over the past three days, there should be a lot of drama at the top of the leaderboard Sunday.

The final round will begin at 8:49 a.m. ET. The final pairing of Zalatoris and Fitzpatrick will tee off at 2:45 p.m. ET.

Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen are tied for the lead halfway through the 2022 U.S. Open.

They are both five-under par but have little margin for error with five players one shot behind them.

It was a tough day at The Country Club for most of the field, with 105 players finishing over par in the second round. Phil Mickelson was among that group. He missed the cut with a 36-hole score of 11-over par (73 on Friday).

Scottie Scheffler was the big mover among the top contenders on the leaderboard. He jumped 18 spots into a tie for eighth thanks to a three-under par 67 on Friday.

U.S. Open Round 2 Leaderboard

T-1. Collin Morikawa (-5)

T-1. Joel Dahmen (-5)

T-3. Hayden Buckey (-4)

T-3. Rory McIlroy (-4)

T-3. Jon Rahm (-4)

T-3. Aaron Wise (-4)

T-3. Beau Hossler (-4)

T-8. Patrick Rodgers (-3)

T-8. Nick Hardy (-3)

T-8. Scottie Scheffler (-3)

T-8. Brian Harman (-3)

T-8. Matthew NeSmith (-3)

Full leaderboard via PGATour.com

Morikawa's 66 was the lowest score of the second round. He opened on the back nine and had a terrific start with three birdies through his first nine holes. The 25-year-old took the lead on his 17th hole with a birdie on the par-five.

208 yards ➡️ 4 feet@Collin_Morikawa takes the lead at -5.pic.twitter.com/ycf7qwgS0i

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022

Despite taking the lead on that hole, Morikawa did leave a shot on the table. He missed an easy four-foot putt for eagle that would have dropped him to six-under par.

Morikawa immediately looking at the face of his putter after missing a 4-foot eagle.

Elite #TourSauce.

— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) June 17, 2022

Morikawa last July: “I can’t get my irons through the Scottish turf.” /wins Open

Morikawa on Tuesday: “I can’t hit a fade.” /leads U.S. Open

— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterNS) June 17, 2022

Even though Morikawa hasn't been totally pleased with his performance thus far, it's hard to argue with the results. He is 36 holes away from becoming the first player since Brooks Koepka to win a major tournament in three consecutive years.

Collin Morikawa (-4) is tied for the lead at the U.S. Open.

Last player to win a major in three consecutive years: Brooks Koepka (2017-2019)

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 17, 2022

Morikawa started this season well with five consecutive top-10 finishes. Including the missed cut at the Players Championship, he has just one top-25 finish in his past eight non-match play events.

Dahmen had a strong start on the front nine with three birdies and one bogey. He closed the round with an even-par 35 on the back nine, highlighted by a 60-foot birdie putt on No. 15 to tie for the lead.

From almost 60 feet to tie the lead ...@Joel_Dahmen buries it 🔥pic.twitter.com/XcSJw6tg9z

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022

This is only the 34-year-old Dahmen's ninth appearance in a major tournament. He missed the cut four times and finished outside of the top 40 three times. The Washington native did finished tied for 10th at the 2020 PGA Championship.

Heading into the weekend, Collin Morikawa and Joel Dahmen co-lead the U.S. Open. Morikawa is making his 11th career major start, Dahmen his 9th.

Morikawa has two prior major victories, at the 2020 PGA Championship and 2021 Open Championship. Dahmen has one career major Top 40. pic.twitter.com/R61bzDHf8T

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 17, 2022

Hayden Buckley had a fantastic closing stretch to put himself in the mix heading into the weekend. He was two-over par for the day after 11 holes but made birdies on four of the final seven to get to four-under par overall and at one point tied for the lead.

Hayden Buckley last four starts:

MC
MC
MC
MC

He's tied for the lead in the US Open.

— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) June 17, 2022

Hayden Buckley just birded four of his last seven holes for a 2nd consecutive 68. He is tied for the lead at the U.S. Open.

Buckley's first made cut at a major. He had to get through a 5-for-1 playoff at sectionals to get here.

Related: idk what to do with my hands.

— Brian Scott Rippee (@bsrippee) June 17, 2022

McIlroy did drop a spot on the leaderboard but remains firmly in contention at four-under par. His day got off to a bad start with a double-bogey on No. 3. The 2011 U.S. Open champion got in the red thanks to three birdies on the back nine, including on No. 17.

Birdie on No. 17 🐦@McIlroyRory is T2 and one shot back.pic.twitter.com/Q3rfkWm3Ad

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022

That might be one of the most impressive rounds I’ve seen Rory McIlroy play. Periods when he didn’t ‘have it’, but he dug deep, ground it out and rolled in momentum-saving putts at crucial moments. Mental resilience by the bucketload.

— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) June 17, 2022

Defending champion Jon Rahm is among the group with McIlroy at four under par. He had a 67 that was highlighted by an eagle on the par-five 14th hole.

The first #USOpen eagle of Jon Rahm's pro career moves him within a shot of the lead. pic.twitter.com/PnMgPZEJ2K

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 17, 2022

Rahm is in a better position this year than he was in his 2021 win at Torrey Pines. The 27-year-old was two shots off the pace and tied for fifth through 36 holes last year. He needed a 67 in the final round to vault into the top spot.

Brooks Koepka was one of the biggest winners from the second round. After opening the U.S. Open with a 73, he got back to even par with a 67 on Friday. He, like Rahm, took advantage of No. 14 with an eagle.

271 yards ➡️ 14 feet

Eagle for @BKoepka. He's 4-under on his last 4 holes and 2 back of the lead 👀 pic.twitter.com/bPvwkvVExo

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 17, 2022

Friday was a marked improvement for Mickelson compared to his 78 in the first round. Lefty did have back-to-back birdies on Nos. 5 and 6 to get his score for the round to two-under par. He gave a shot back with a bogey on the next hole.

"I thought I was more prepared than I was," Mickelson told reporters after his round ended. "The U.S. Open is the ultimate test. And you don’t really know where your game is until you get tested, and I thought I was little bit closer than I was."

The U.S. Open was Mickelson's first PGA Tour event since January. He hasn't made the cut since the Tournament of Champions from Jan. 6 to 9. The 52-year-old finished 33rd at the inaugural LIV event last week in London.

Saturday's third round will tee off at 9:49 a.m. ET. Morikawa and Dahmen will be the final pairing, starting at 3:45 p.m.

Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann lead the PGA Tour in first-round scoring average.

The two men have been in the mix for the top spot on the leaderboard after the opening day's play at both of this year's major tournaments.

The consistently strong play of both golfers in the first round makes them two of the best daily fantasy golf options for the opening day of the U.S. Open.

Smith has been more of a fixture at the top of major leaderboards. Four of his last six opening-round scores at majors have been in the 60s, and he has stuck around for three top-15 finishes in those events.

Smith and Niemann are just two of the golfers who should have your attention for first-round DFS lineups. Some of the top-ranked names in the world have gotten off to great starts at majors this season, and they could follow that trend at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts.

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Roster Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann

Smith and Niemann are two of three players on the PGA Tour with a first-round scoring average under 68.

Smith leads the PGA Tour with an opening-round average of 67.73. Niemann is second to the Australian at 67.87, while Russell Henley is the only other golfer with an average under 68.

Smith and Niemann both landed inside the top 10 after Thursday at the Masters and the PGA Championship.

Smith was second to Sungjae Im after 18 holes at Augusta National Golf Club and was tied with the Chilean for seventh place at Southern Hills. Niemann finished in a tie for third with three other golfers after Thursday at Augusta.

Both golfers will have plenty of eyes on them during the first round at The Country Club.

Niemann tees off at 8:02 a.m. ET alongside Cameron Young and Will Zalatoris. Smith plays with Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler in the threesome that tees off at 1:25 p.m. ET.

The two first-round aces could outperform others in their groups and land high on the leaderboard after 18 holes.

There is always a chance one of them struggles at a tough U.S. Open course, but they have to be included in first-round lineups because of their consistency to start tournaments.

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Put Focus on the Rory McIlroy Group

Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Xander Schauffele feature in one of the marquee morning threesomes.

McIlroy and Matsuyama are previous major winners, and Schauffele has three straight top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open.

All three men could be front and center on the leaderboard by the time Thursday's opening round ends.

The McIlroy group should have the favored split on Thursday. The wind is not supposed to pick up above 10 miles per hour until the afternoon, per Accuweather.

However, calm conditions for the morning tee times could produce a handful of low scores.

McIlroy is the favorite to win the entire tournament, and he may be the best bet to choose as a first-round leader because of the form he enters the U.S. Open in. He won the RBC Canadian Open in a duel with Tony Finau and Justin Thomas last weekend.

Matsuyama and Schauffele do not have a top-10 major finish this season, but both could thrive off playing with McIlroy and on a difficult U.S. Open course.

Matsuyama has finished inside the top 30 in each of the last five U.S. Opens, and although he has only a single top-10 major finish in the last four years, he missed the cut just once in that span.

The consistency displayed by each of the three golfers could help them get off to strong starts and help your lineups move to the top of the DFS leaderboard.