LA JOLLA • South African Louis Oosthuizen sank twice, yesterday morning to retain a share of the lead, when the first round of the 121st US Open resumed and stopped in the dark at Torrey Pines.
The 2010 British Open champion, who started in the ninth, sank two meters in the eight hole and one meter by two meters in the ninth and fifth, to finish the U-67 quad and face the American Russell Henley for the benefit of the club leadership.
World No. 18 Oosthuizen was among 36 players still on the field when play was halted Thursday, the result of a 90-minute delay in morning fog on the huge ocean chart.
“I enjoy playing challenging golf courses,” he said.
“I think somehow I focus a little bit better when I’m playing those tournaments, knowing that the margin of error is really small.
“Especially around this place … you’ll get in trouble if you lose the roads around this road.”
Oosthuizen, who has never won on American soil, has finished second in five majors since his big win 11 years ago at St Andrews, most recently at the PGA Championship last month.
Spanish Rafa Cabrera Bello finished third in 68th place and Italian Francesco Molinari, winner of the 2018 British Championship.
Japan’s Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Spain’s third seed John Ramm shared fifth at 69th, joining four-time winner Brooks Koepka in pursuit of his third US Open victory and fellow countrymen Hayden. Buckley and Xander Shuveli.
The attempt to finish before dark Thursday produced a wild closing show, as four-time winner Major Rory McIlroy climbed into lane 18 to complete a 70 in the twilight gloom.
World No. 1 Dustin Johnson started with a score of 71, twice better than world No. 2 Justin Thomas.
Local champion Phil Mickelson, who was trying to win a seventh major to complete his Grand Slam career, stumbled into the 75th opener.
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