Berganio Weathers 1st Round : Golf: Sylmar resident shoots 73 in heat and humidity at the U.S. Open, trails leader Tom Watson by five strokes.

So the morning weather was oppressively hot and humid, eh?

David Berganio Jr. of Sylmar was one of the first players to tee off Thursday in the opening round of the 94th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pa. He should consider himself lucky.

Battling record 95-degree temperatures and humidity to match, the field slogged its way around the tight 6,946-yard, par-71 layout.

Berganio teed off at 8:10 a.m. EDT, in the eighth of 53 threesomes, and shot a respectable 73. Today, however, he will tee off exactly 4 1/2 hours later.

“I’m sure it’ll be much cooler in the afternoon,” he deadpanned. “It was plenty hot when I played, don’t let anybody fool you. It was hot all day.”

His game was torrid, too.

Berganio was even par for 15 holes before he hit a shot that failed to hold the rock-hard green at No. 16, resulting in a bogey.

He three-putted No. 18 for a bogey to finish two over par.

“I hit it really, really solid,” he said. “I never missed a shot--all day.”

Berganio, 25, was an NCAA Division I All-American last year at Arizona. He turned professional late last summer and has played this season on the Asian and Nike tours.

He is five shots behind surprise leader Tom Watson, who fired a first-round 68 to grab a one-shot lead over Jack Nicklaus and three others.

Berganio played the front nine at even-par 36 and sank a 10-footer on the 10th hole to save par while being featured during ESPN’s live television coverage. However, he slipped to a two-over 37 on the back side.

Berganio, playing in his second U.S. Open and first as a pro, bested some prominent players, including Payne Stewart (74), Nick Price (76), Master’s champion Jose-Maria Olazabal (76), former Open champions Larry Nelson (75) and Andy North (78), as well as John Daly (81) and Johnny Miller (81).

Nick Faldo, Tom Kite, Fulton Allem, John Cook and Chip Beck were included in a logjam of 14 players tied with Berganio when play was suspended because of lightning storms.

Berganio also finished atop the leader board among area players.

Duffy Waldorf of Valencia, a former Taft High and UCLA standout, shot 74. Two more former UCLA players with ties to the region failed to make a move on the leaders. Steve Pate, who lives in Agoura Hills, also shot 74 while Corey Pavin, an Oxnard native, struggled to a 78.

Berganio, brash and confident as ever, isn’t exactly in awe of the competition and isn’t going to lose sleep about what score it will take to make the 36-hole cut.

If anything, he felt he shortchanged himself by not finishing strong.

“I’m not even worrying about (the cut),” he said. “I’m gonna shoot some low numbers and pass some more guys (today).”