2021 U.S. Open Daily Question: Who's the Biggest Surprise Contender After Day 1?

After a foggy start, the first-day leaderboard at Torrey Pines produced a mix of familiar names ... and some that might require a Google search. Our writers on the scene weigh in.

Author:
Morning Read Staff
Publish date:
Jun 17, 2021

Day 1 of the U.S. Open is complete -- sort of. Several groups will have early starts on Friday to finish their first 18 holes, as a morning fog delay disrupted the schedule. The current leaderboard features a mix of big names and big surprises. And so we ask our two correspondents who are reporting from inside the U.S. Open press center: what was the biggest surprise from the first day at Torrey Pines?

Michael Rosenberg, Sports Illustrated: Molinari. Both of them! In 2018, Francesco had a brief run as, if not the best player in the world, then the most bad-ass: He won the British Open while paired with Tiger Woods on Sunday, and then had one of the great performances in Ryder Cup history, going 5-0 without ever playing the 18th hole. A few months later, he was in the final group with Woods and Tony Finau when Woods won his fifth Masters.

Molinari has had a rough go since then. He hasn't won since that Open. When golf came back from its COVID hiatus, he did not, for a while. He withdrew from last month's PGA because of a back injury. Asked what injuries he has been dealing with lately, he said, "Pretty much every part of the body that you can name." He arrived here ranked 173rd in the world, and yet, he is still the superior Molinari. Edoardo is 375th in the world. Frankie shot 68 in the first round. Edoardo shot 70. They will probably both fall off the leaderboard Friday, but this was fun.

Alex Miceli, Morning Read: What have golf fans most likely heard of: Haden Buckley or Tupelo, Mississippi?

I’d go with Tupelo if you’re asking. That's Haden Buckley’s hometown.

Buckley, 25, is just another reason that Google and the internet were created, because no one has a clue who he is and what is he doing two shots off the lead of Russell Henley, who is also a of a surprise in his own right.

Buckley went to the University of Missouri, that powerhouse of college golf, and then to the PGA Tour Canada, where he won once in 2019 and moved up to the Kron Ferry Tour. He won again there in February. Each of his professional wins came in playoffs. He shot 10-under 134 at the Piedmont Driving Club, just outside of Atlanta, to qualify for a spot in his first major.

If Buckley stays on this trajectory we’ll come up with a little more, but for now that’s all. He’s the surprise of the day.

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