U.S. Open leaderboard 2017: Rickie Fowler ahead at Erin Hills, Hideki Matsuyama chasing tournament record

Rickie’s still the story of the tournament, but it’s playing partner Hideki Matsuyama who’ll have a chance to chase down Johnny Miller’s U.S. Open record round.

Big name, first-time major winners have been a trend of late in golf. Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, and Sergio Garcia all picked up their first within the last six major championships. Now, perhaps, it’s the biggest star of all ready to get that burden off his back.

Rickie Fowler’s rolling right along on Friday at the U.S. Open, firing a 2-under-par 34 on the front side at Erin Hills to retain his overnight lead (now at 9-under) for the championship. With a big crowd in tow, Fowler was flawless through the first-time major venue’s opening nine — now playing 27 straight holes without a bogey to open the championship. The highlight of the day so far? This 51-footer for birdie on the long par-5 7th hole to move himself back into the lead alongside Brooks Koepka. He now leads alone at 9-under-par.

Starting on the back nine, Koepka would perhaps be the big mover of the day after his 4-under 32 start to tie Fowler at 9-under, but, well, Hideki Matsuyama. Playing alongside a plenty-impressive Fowler, Matsuyama stole the show on the front nine with a 6-under 30 on the front nine to start the day. It was a tee-to-green clinic for one of the game’s best ballstrikers, and if he keeps it up, Johnny Miller’s 8-under par single round scoring record might be in jeopardy. I walked nearly every step of the way with Fowler and Matsuyama, and it was a ridiculous, clinical display of ballstriking. Give me more of this over the weekend, please.

While conditions were perhaps expected to toughen at Erin Hills on Friday, that hasn’t materialized just yet this afternoon in Wisconsin. With the course’s regular protectionist winds laying down for most of the afternoon, the water & treeless venue’s left with little protection outside of the trademark undulation & fescue. Don’t be surprised if one of those leaders gets to 11-under-par before this thing’s over.

Of course, that hasn’t helped everybody. For the four big names, two are trying to battle back into contention — while two others are already jet-setting out of Wisconsin. Rory McIlroy & Jason Day will miss the cut by a healthy margin, while Dustin Johnson & Jordan Spieth are flirting just above the expected 2-over-par cut line with nine holes to play. If Johnson can’t keep his head above the line, it’ll be the first time in the Official Golf World Ranking era that the world’s top 3 players have all missed a cut at a major.

Here’s the full leaderboard with nine to play for the leaders on Friday.