SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Ryder Cowan knew he was playing good golf coming into the U.S. Open.
Midway through his round Thursday, the leaderboard showed that the amateur was playing the best golf of anyone at Shinnecock Hills.
Cowan, a 21-year-old who will be a senior at Oklahoma, briefly held the lead in his first major championship before finishing with a 2-under 68, matching the lowest round by an amateur at Shinnecock. He was tied for second when
the first round was suspended because of darkness.
“Through nine, I looked up and I was 3-under par,” Cowan said. “I definitely looked at that leaderboard, and I saw it up there.”
A couple bogeys on his second nine knocked him back, but with the sun setting, Cowan finished strong shortly before play was stopped for the day. Playing the ninth hole, he hit his approach to 5 feet and knocked in the putt for his fourth birdie of the round.
Starting on the back, he he had three of them in his first eight holes, moving to 3-under and into the lead after his birdie at the par-3 17th.
“I feel like I started well. I got some momentum from that,” Cowan said. "I knew, if I could get through those holes, I had a couple easy holes coming in.
"I hit it good all day, put myself in good positions throughout the day.
Cowan was four shots behind Wyndham Clark, in position to be the first amateur to finish a U.S. Open round in the top five since Brian Campbell was tied for fourth after the first round in 2015.
Cowan earned his trip to Shinnecock through a qualifier at BallenIsles Country Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, shooting 6-under 138 and then surviving a three-man playoff for two spots. The other was earned by 17-year-old Miles Russell, who also played well Thursday and finished at 2 over while playing in a group with three-time major champion Padraig Harrington, 54.
Cowan said the practice he did to prepare had him believing he would play well. But playing on his home course looks and sounds much different than what he faced at Shinnecock.
“I think that I’ve really just been trying this week to focus on each shot, especially today. One at a time, not worry about what’s going on in the crowds or everything,” Cowan said. “I’m not used to all these crowds. We don’t ever really play with a lot of crowds.”
If he can keep up his strong play, he might have a big one following him around on the weekend.
“I feel like all the work I put in every single day gives me that belief that I can come out here and play with anyone and the guys that I surround myself with,” Cowan said.
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