Louis Oosthuizen Up Early to Tie for First-Round Lead

The South African, who won the 2010 British Open, completed his 67 Friday morning

Louis Oosthuizen finished off his 4-under 67 early Friday morning with a couple of pars to tie for the first-round lead at the U.S. Open with Russell Henley. 

Thirty-six players went off at 6:50 a.m. local time Friday to complete their first rounds due to a 90-minute fog delay Thursday morning at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego.

“I’m glad I didn't have to do that last night with greens being a lot bumpier in the afternoon,” Oosthuizen said of the 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 8th hole he faced first thing Friday. “That was one of the reasons I didn't want to hit that long putt yesterday, but it was probably a bit faster this morning than it would have been last night, but I couldn't see anything last night.”

Louis Oosthuizen finished up his opening round on Friday morning and is tied with Russell Henley at 4-under-par 67 heading into Friday's s  / Orlando Ramirez | USA TODAY Sports

The 38-year-old South African is the 2010 British Open winner and lost in a playoff to Zach Johnson in 2015 at St. Andrews. He lost a playoff to Bubba Watson at the 2012 Masters and tied for second at the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. And he has three top-10s in his last six U.S. Open starts.

“I just enjoy playing really tough golf courses,” Oosthuizen said. “I think somehow I focus a little bit better when I play those courses, knowing that the margin for error is really small. Especially around this place, you've got to drive it well, you've got to start it in the fairway, and you're going to have trouble if you're missing fairways … and I've really been driving it good lately.”

Patrick Cantlay got up-and-down from a wicked lie from behind the green at the par-5 9th hole to complete his 1-under 70, which was remarkable because he managed to make it through a U.S. Open round without a bogey. The only other bogey-free first round belonged to Rafa Cabrera Bello, who shot 3-under 68.

The biggest victim of end of the first round was Sebastian Munoz, who was at 3 under and one shot back of the lead before he ran aground with a double-bogey 7 at his last hole of the day, the par-5 9th hole. Munoz signed for a 1-under 70.

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