OAKMONT, Pa. — With two swings on a 621-yard hole, Patrick Reed leapt into contention at Oakmont Country Club by making the fourth albatross in U.S. Open recorded history.
At the par-5 fourth hole, Reed’s drive settled on the left side of the fairway, next to Oakmont’s famed “church pews” bunker and 286 yards from the hole.
Reed hit a fairway wood toward the green. The shot landed in the putting surface, took three hops and settled onto its path, veering slightly left. His ball entered the left side of the cup and settled into the hole behind the pin.
Reed, 34, did not know initially that he holed the shot. He motioned to a spotter to ask if the shot had gone in, then raised two fingers.
It was the first albatross at a U.S. Open since Nick Watney in 2012. The USGA has tracked the 3-under-par shots since 1983.
The shot boosted Reed from 1 over to 2 under par early in his round. J.J. Spaun held the clubhouse lead Thursday afternoon with a bogey-free, 4-under 66.
Reed is best known for winning the 2018 Masters. He joined LIV Golf in 2022 and has yet to win an event in that league.