Scheffler: USGA will be 'frustrated' with record-breaking Fowler and Schauffele!

Scottie Scheffler says the USGA will be 'a bit frustrated' Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele made history with their opening rounds of 62 at the US Open.

Ben Smith

15 Jun 2023

Scheffler: USGA will be 'frustrated' with record-breaking Fowler and Schauffele! — Scheffler: USGA will be 'frustrated' with record-breaking Fowler and…

Scottie Scheffler says he believes the USGA will be a bit frustrated after Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele both shot opening rounds of 8-under 62 at the 123rd US Open.

Fowler, who has been battling his way back to the top after a rough few years in the game, started on the back nine at Los Angeles Country Club.

By day's end he managed to card 10 birdies alongside two bogeys. In contrast, Schauffele's round was flawless.

Schauffele, 29, had a putt to pip 34-year-old Fowler by one at his final hole but left his birdie putt in the jaws much to his annoyance.

It means the duo now share the lowest round in US Open history. They also tied the lowest round in men's major championship history.

To put that in perspective, per stats man Justin Ray, there have been more than 47,000 rounds played in the US Open.

World No. 1 Scheffler reckons the USGA might be a tad annoyed given it's a US Open. He also said he didn't see a 62 out there on Thursday.

Scheffler found himself five back of Fowler and Schauffele after posting an opening 3-under 67.

Scheffler said:

"It's a pretty low round at a U.S. Open. I joked a bit earlier; I think the USGA will be a bit frustrated that the number was that low today. I don't think you'll be seeing too much of that over the weekend.

"[It is a] heck of a round [on a] U.S. Open golf course. I didn't see 8-under out there today, especially with the way I started.

"For him to just -- it's one of those golf courses where I think if you can pick up some momentum and capitalize on some really difficult holes all of a sudden it starts to open up and you see those easier holes."

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| Rickie Fowler posts an opening round of 8-under 62 at Los Angeles Country Club.
Ten birdies. Two bogeys.
The lowest round in US Open history. pic.twitter.com/X0Qb3vlQe0
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) June 15, 2023

As for Fowler, he paid tribute to coach Butch Harmon in the immediate aftermath of his round.

Of his 'journey', Fowler said it has been 'long and tough', adding:

"A lot longer being in that situation than you'd ever want to. But it makes it so worth it having gone through that and being back where we are now.

"I would say we're starting to get maybe as close as we've ever been to where I was through kind of that 2014, 2015 area, and just with -- I've been playing fairly consistently, but a lot of it for me is what I've been able to get out of off weeks where I'm not playing very well and still able to make the cut and kind of turn those into at least top 20s or top 10s and the last few years those were missed cuts and going home."

Xander Schauffele ties Rickie Fowler with an 8-under 62. No bogeys on the card for X-Man. pic.twitter.com/HcLxDKZX1q
— GolfMagic (@GolfMagic) June 15, 2023