Former champion Geoff Ogilvy and two-time runner-up Jason Day are making moves late in the opening round of the US Open golf championship.

Ogilvy and Day are two-under-par through 14 and 11 holes respectively to be tied seventh and three shots off the lead.

American Dustin Johnson earlier overpowered the Chambers Bay course and Swede Henrik Stenson finessed it on their way to sharing the clubhouse lead at five-under 65.

Former world No.1 Adam Scott and major championship rookie Cameron Smith made solid starts with even par 70s while fellow Australian Marc Leishman was even through 13 holes.

Johnson was bogey-free until his final hole, carding six birdies and just one bogey while Stenson rolled home with four birdies in his last five holes to join him on top after the morning rounds.

They led by one stroke over Americans Patrick Reed (66), Ben Martin (10 holes) and amateur Brian Campbell (nine holes).

Day bogeyed the third hole but bounced back with birdie on the fourth before closing out the front nine with back-to-back birdies to get two-under.

It could have been better for the Queenslander but a five-foot try on the 11th slid by.

Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open champion, opened with seven pars before making birdies on eight and 13 to get amongst it.

Of the other Australians, Marcus Fraser shot 71 while Kurt Barnes and John Senden settled for 72s to sit in a tie for 74th along with world No.1 Rory McIlroy.

Tiger Woods was struggling, four-over-par though 10 holes.