Day 1 at Erin Hills

Keep that card

Adam Hadwin: The 29-year-old Canadian hasn't played in a U.S. Open since 2013 but he's fitting right in. Hadwin rolled in six consecutive birdies to tie a U.S. Open record and finished three back of leader Rickie Fowler with a 4-under 68. Hadwin's run started on the par-5 18th. He then birdied Nos. 1-5 before he bogeyed the 252-yard, par-3 sixth.

Toss that card

Jason Day: The winner in Wisconsin at the 2015 PGA Championship didn't find his first round in a Badgerland U.S. Open all that memorable. Day, ranked No. 3 in the world, birdied his opening hole but it all unraveled three holes later. Day needed three chips to get his ball onto the fourth green en route to a triple bogey. He made another triple on No. 10 and finished 7 over.

On the course with ...

Dustin Johnson: The defending U.S. Open champion found the fescue at Erin Hills. DJ made double bogey on the par-5 14th after pulling his second shot into the knee-high grass off the fairway. His third shot hooked into gnarly rough in an awkward stance above a bunker. He hit that shot onto the green, but needed three putts to finish the hole.

U.S. Open moment

On the 20th anniversary of his second U.S. Open championship, Ernie Els put himself in the mix for a third by scrambling his way around Erin Hills for a 2-under 70. This is Els' 25th U.S. Open, and his five-year exemption into golf's majors following his 2012 British Open triumph is nearly up.

Chip shots

• An advertising blimp crashed about a half-mile from Erin Hills early Thursday afternoon, and the USGA said the pilot is "OK" but being treated for "unknown injuries."

• Victorious Ryder Cup captain and World Golf Hall of Famer Davis Love III caddied for son Dru, who shot a 1-under 71.

• This was the first U.S. Open start without Phil Mickelson or Tiger Woods since 1994, when Mickelson was out because of a broken leg. Woods was still in high school.

Key hole

Par-5, 613-yard No. 1: Sergio Garcia and Paul Casey got their weeks off in style, taming the Erin Hills beast with eagles at the opening hole. No player had begun a U.S. Open with an eagle since 2003.

Quote of the day

"Players are asking me now if I can complain about the course being too long so the USGA will move the tees up."

— Kevin Na, with a wink, after his 4-under 68. Early in the week, Na was critical on social media about the thickness of the fescue grass and some was later cut back.

Tweet of the day

"Weird scorecard at first round @usopengolf — nobody in top-15 has won a major. Last six major winners are 24-over-par."

— Former PGA Tour caddie Bradley Klein (@BradleySKlein)

Day 2

The top 60 players (and ties) make the weekend at the U.S. Open and at least to begin Friday, a whole lot of familiar names are outside of that mark. FS1 picks up coverage at 10 a.m.

BRIAN STENSAAS