Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele hit lowest scores in US Open history

American pair both finish with eight-under-par 62s after opening round at Los Angeles Country Club

Rickie Fowler is joint leader at the US Open with Xander Schauffele after both recorded the US Open's first 62s. Getty

Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele share lead the US Open after record-breaking opening rounds at Los Angeles Country Club on Friday.

Schauffele matched Ryder Cup teammate Fowler’s eight-under-par 62 to record the lowest score in US Open history and equal the lowest in any men’s major – matching Branden Grace's 62 in the third round of The Open at Royal Birkdale in 2017.

“It’s not really what you expect playing a US Open, but monkey see, monkey do,” Olympic champion Schauffele said.

“I was just chasing Rickie up the leaderboard. Glad he was just in front of me. [But] it’s just Thursday. It’s literally just the first day of a tournament. It’s a good start. You just wait until this place firms up. It’s going to be nasty.”

Fowler, fighting out of a slump that saw him miss the past two US Opens, overcame two bogeys in his eight-under-par effort and surpassed the previous tournament record low round of 63, first set by Johnny Miller at Oakmont in 1973.

Schauffele, the 2021 Olympic champion playing two groups behind Fowler, had eight birdies without a bogey. He had a 27-foot birdie putt at his final hole, the par-three ninth, but left it four feet short.

“I knew it was close, I wasn't sure of the exact number,” Fowler, a former world No 4 who fell to as low as 185th as he struggled with his game in 2021 and 2022, said of the low-round record. “I just tried to keep moving forward.”

They were two strokes ahead of two-time major champion Dustin Johnson and Wyndham Clark on six-under 64, with four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and Brian Harman a further stroke back on 65.

McIlroy hit five front-nine birdies – his best effort in majors – on the back of some explosive driving off the tee.

And he played solid golf on the back nine, adding one more birdie before making his only bogey on the last hole.

Not everyone could take advantage of the scoring opportunities. Brooks Koepka, who captured his fifth major title at the PGA Championship last month, carded a one-over 71 as did defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick.

Reigning Open champion Cameron Smith of Australia posted a one-under-par 69, as did Masters champion Jon Rahm.

France's Matthieu Pavon and American Sam Burns hit hole in ones on the 124-yard par-three 15th, both of their shots landing past the hole and spinning back into the cup.