Golf

U.S. Open 2017 TV schedule and coverage for Friday’s Round 2

Can Rickie Fowler keep up his historic pace?

Jun 16, 2017, 12:00 PM UTC

Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Rickie Fowler’s record-tying opening round has a field of 155 of the world’s best golfers looking up at him. The question now is whether he can keep up that pace to claim his first major championship.

Fowler’s first 18 holes were the lowest start to a U.S. Open since Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf hit the Baltusrol clubhouse after the first round of the 1980 event tied at -7. His hot start has him at the peak of a loaded field that includes every single member of the World Golf Rankings top-10 list.

Not only does he have to contend with a loaded field, but he’ll need to find a way to continue his mastery of Erin Hills. The Wisconsin course, brand new to the U.S. Open rotation and not yet old enough for its quinceañera, is an intimidating beast.

Its wide fairways give way to long fescue that had players complaining even before the opening round had begun. A lack of trees along the course means whipping winds push balls left and right toward the links’ many bunkers. Rain on Tuesday and Wednesday helped soften the greens, but dry, windy days suggest those surfaces will be as fast as concrete when the championship rounds roll on.

The golfers at the top of the scoreboard have found a way to tame the 7,741 yards — an Open record — of undulating hills and high grass. Fowler, in search of his first major title, made the most noise. But a handful of crafty veterans joined him in the hunt for the silver cup. Lee Westwood, Ernie Els, and Angel Cabrera, who clock in at a combined 138 years old, all found their way to the happy side of par. A win for any of the three would mark a surprising late-career renaissance.

USOpen.com’s featured groups offer 12 of the planet’s best golfers. The 2016 champion, Dustin Johnson, is part of a group that features the past three Open champs. He is flanked by former world No. 1 Spieth (currently ranked No. 5) and Kaymer. A trio of Masters winners, including reigning champ Garcia, who showed just how dangerous he can be with a first-hole eagle Thursday, will continue their quest to master Erin Hills’ undulating fairways and glassy greens.

Here’s where you can find all of Friday’s action, whether you’re watching on television, streaming through your laptop, or listening in your car.