Henrik Stenson, Dustin Johnson lead U.S. Open

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — The first time Henrik Stenson saw Chambers Bay, he walked the course without playing it. The Swede did just fine with clubs in his hand Thursday in a rousing start to the U.S. Open.

Stenson birdied three of his last four holes for 5-under-par 65, his lowest score in the U.S. Open, to share the lead with Dustin Johnson.

Johnson was flawless until a bogey on his final hole, the par-3 ninth, that showed how wild this course can play. He pulled a 6-iron long, and then hit a chip that looked like it was running fast off the green until it made a hard left turn. He missed the 15-foot par putt.

Stenson and Johnson had a one-shot lead over former Augusta State All-American Patrick Reed.

Reed, who like Johnson and Stenson is searching for his first major victory, birdied five of his last 10 holes Thursday en route to 66.

Former Georgia Tech star Matt Kuchar had 67, as did former Clemson golfer Ben Martin and 22-year-old amateur Brian Campbell.

Masters Tournament champion Jordan Spieth, playing in the afternoon, had a run of three consecutive birdies and opened with 68.

Phil Mickelson, who has six runner-up finishes in the U.S. Open, had 69.

The morning groups were happy to get the first date with Chambers Bay out of the way.

“One day out of four done, and we’re right there with where we want to be,” Stenson said. “It’s still a long journey until Sunday afternoon.”

It’s a long journey every round at Chambers Bay, the mystery course built on a former sand-and-gravel pit with 200 feet of elevation from the highest point to the train tracks that run along Puget Sound.

The course was always going to be the star in the opening round because no one knew what to expect. The USGA allowed for a relatively gentle setup, and the overcast sky and lack of wind certainly helped.

Stenson was among those who were skeptical about Chambers Bay, which opened only eight years ago.

Slowed by a stomach virus in the spring, he flew to Seattle on his way to the Match Play Championship and decided to walk the course to get a feel for how it played. It is faster now, and much firmer, and he thrived on it.

So did Johnson, no stranger to great starts in majors.

Johnson lost a chance to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach five years ago with an 82 in the final round.

He missed out on a playoff at the PGA Championship that same year by grounding his club without realizing he was in a bunker at Whistling Straits.

And his challenge at the British Open in 2011 was derailed by a 2-iron that went out-of-bounds on the 14th hole.

But coming off a six-month break to get his life in order, Johnson is as imposing as ever.

He surged into the lead with three birdies in a four-hole stretch, only to make bogey on his final hole. It didn’t bother him. Nothing does.

“I really felt like I swung it well and hit a lot of quality iron shots,” Johnson said. “So the confidence is definitely there. I feel really good about where I’m at going into tomorrow.”

Pace of play has been a concern at Chambers Bay because of the rugged terrain and long walks between greens and tees.

Known for his rather short temper, Bubba Watson had to wait to hit his approach shot to No. 18. When he went left, he muttered loud enough for the cameras: “Waiting 30 minutes. This is pathetic.”

Asked later about the slow pace and his reaction on 18, Watson replied: “We’ve been waiting all day. I just hit a bad shot. I’m not going to pout. We’ve all seen articles written about me that I’m a pouter. It’s nothing new.”

Watson, by the way, still shot 70.

Nobody has had a more eventful first three holes at the U.S. Open than Camilo Villegas.

The Colombian started on the back side with a pair of birdies Thursday, then hit into a greenside bunker on the short, par-4 12th. That’s when things turned downright silly.

With his ball buried, Villegas declared an unplayable lie. But rather than going backward and dropping on a line with the hole, Villegas decided to try dropping within two club lengths of the original spot. When it kept rolling into the bunker, he placed it in the tall fescue.

Forgetting to rake the tracks left by the rules official in the bunker, Villegas chopped at his ball, which went a couple feet and then rolled back into the footprint. He tried to splash out from there and the ball rolled back into his new divot. He tried to get out once again and watched his ball helplessly roll back into the bunker.

He finally dug out of his hole for a crowd-pleasing triple bogey.