Neither Rahm nor Scheffler, neither LIV nor PGA; Oakmont is in charge at the US Open.

It was an exercise in honesty. Unexpected, yes, perhaps also surprising, due to the very direct message it conveyed, but also characteristic of a man like Jon Rahm, who usually expresses himself openly and thinks carefully about every word he says. It is not unusual for the Basque golfer to take a few seconds in silence, contemplating what he wants to convey before answering a question in a press conference. This time he had very clear ideas. Before the start of the US Open, an American journalist questioned him about the significance of a record that only he holds: 21 finishes in the top 10 across the 21 events of the Saudi League he has played since his signing a season and a half ago.

“But I don’t place that much value on it,” the Basque said, surprising the audience; “it’s easier to end up in the top ten in a tournament with 54 players than in one with 150.” Obvious, yes, but no one dared to write it down. For the first time, a player from the Saudi League somewhat diminished the weight of his competition compared to the US circuit. And that player was Jon Rahm.

The debate extends through each of the four majors held in a year. There are only 16 days in which the best players in the world, divided between those joining LIV and those loyal to the PGA Tour, compete for a trophy. This US Open is the third such encounter of the season, following McIlroy’s green jacket at the Masters and Scheffler’s triumph at the PGA, with the British Open awaiting in July. But this time, the highlight has not been, as in previous occasions, the clash between the two opposing sides (McIlroy against DeChambeau at Augusta; Scheffler against Rahm at the PGA), but rather a course named Oakmont Country Club. If the US Open has earned its deserved reputation as the major with the most thorns in its path, Oakmont is the golfers’ greatest nightmare. “This course frustrates you,” Rahm summarized on Friday after missing many birdie opportunities due to continuous putting mistakes on what he felt were good hits. That’s Oakmont, the land of rough that swallows balls and greens as hard as rocks. The rain softened the toll on Saturday, the wind offered a respite, but that did not turn it into a festival of success. Rahm can attest to that.

A long putt on hole 2 seemed to change the trend of the diabolical previous day. An illusion. On 3, the ball stuck out its tongue by drawing a tie, and on 4, the big man from Barrika covered his mouth as if he couldn’t believe his shot missed the hole by just one centimeter. The miss on 5 was more pronounced, but it was still the third consecutive chance lost. The round alternated moments of brilliance, like a birdie on the treacherous par three on 8, a hit achieved by very few, with other blunders: a three-putt on 10, failing to capitalize on the par five on 12, a blow of a double bogey on 15 after a double trip through the rough, and the final setback on 18. In total, +7, far from Sam Burns’ lead (-4), followed by Adam Scott and J.J. Spaun (-3) and Viktor Hovland (-1), the only four players under par.

Neither Rahm nor Scheffler invoked their best versions. The number one player tied in birdies and bogeys (four and four) for +4. Oakmont leads.

US Open Standings.