Marc Leishman has ridden a hot short game on to the front page of the US Open leaderboard midway through the first round at Erin Hills.
The Victorian turned in three-under-par 33, then pitched in tight again on the 10th for another birdie before a curling left-to-right slider on the 12th took him to five under and just two behind leader Rickie Fowler, who cashed in on perfect early conditions to card a stunning 65.
But the news wasn’t so good for Australia’s other “big names”.
Adam Scott missed a par putt from inside 50cm on the first hole, then made a couple of costly trips to the fescue as he battled to three over through 11.
World No.3 Jason Day began brightly with birdie, but also became a victim of the fescue on the fourth where he made a triple-bogey after his approach shot ran off the green into the deep stuff.
The Queenslander closed his front nine with consecutive bogeys to also sit three over.
However, major championship newcomer Wade Ormsby was going superbly, one under through 15 holes with a string of birdies covering a few bogeys.
Nick Flanagan was also going along nicely on his return to the US Open after a 13-year absence.
The Novocastrian was square through 11 with just one bogey and one birdie to sit comfortably inside the top 50.
But the day belonged to Fowler, who went blemish-free, taming the par-fives and nailing wedges close on several other holes.
The American tied the record lowest score in relation to par in the first round of the US Open. Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf each shot seven-under rounds of 63 on the par-70 Baltusrol in 1980.
But Fowler remained aware of the long journey ahead.
“It’s cool, but it’s just the first round,” he said.
“I’d rather be remembered for something that’s done on Sunday.”
