Dustin Johnson stood on the back of the ninth green at Erin Hills and stared at a US Open leaderboard filled with red numbers under par.
His name was to the right with a black number - three-over par.
And then the defending US Open champion missed a 10-foot birdie putt to cap a most forgettable 75 that included just one birdie, three three-putts and six shots out of the knee-high fescue that frame the generous fairways of Erin Hills.
"You won't get a better day for scoring," Johnson said during the long walk to the scoring area.
Just not for him.
For all the time he spent in the hay, Johnson was most irritated with his putter.
"I didn't hit it great," he said.
"But I hit it good enough to shoot a good score."
It was the highest opening round by a defending US Open champion since Rory McIlroy shot 77 at Olympic Club and missed the cut in 2012.
World No.1 Johnson might be headed home early for the second straight week unless he can turn it around.
That means making putts.
It means spending more time in the fairway.
And more birdies.
"I'm a little frustrated that I shot three over," Johnson said.
"I didn't play that bad. I just didn't putt very good.
"It wasn't that I was hitting bad putts. My speed was a little off.
"I'd either hit it just high and lip it out or they went across the front edge of the hole."
Johnson wasn't the only one to struggle in his group, which started on the 10th hole.
World No.5 Jordan Spieth also made only one birdie, giving the last two US Open champions a total of two birdies between them on a day when Rickie Fowler opened with a 65 and the morning wave of players made the most of the benign conditions.
Spieth had no stress in his round until back-to-back bogeys on the fourth and fifth -- where he managed to move a hammered eight-iron second shot from the thick rough just a matter of yards.
Like Johnson, he had his chances. Just like Johnson, he rarely made them.
And just like Johnson, he couldn't ignore the leaderboard. Spieth shot a 73 and was eight shots off the pace.
"Neither one of us could make a putt," Spieth said.
"I've played a lot of golf with him and have seen him at his best.
"And everybody has off days one way or another."
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