There is a three-way tie after the first round of the U. S. Open at Pebble Beach and Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are no where in site. Paul Casey, Shaun Micheel and Brendon de Jonge are tied with opening rounds of two-under par, 69, and lead a group of seven players by one shot. Both Woods and Mickelson were held without a birdie, or better, in the first round and sit three-over and four-over par, respectively.
Casey started with birdies on the third and fifth holes but finished the front side with a bogey. After making pars through the 14th hole, he birdied the 15th and made bogey on the 16th before finishing with birdie on the final hole.
Micheel made bogey on the second hole but sank consecutive birdies on the fifth and sixth holes. He bogeyed the 13th hole and made birdies on the 14th and 15th holes. Micheel traded bogey for birdie on the 17th and 18th holes.
de Jonge opened the round with five straight pars before making birdies on three of the final four holes of the front nine. He started the back sied with bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes with another on the 13th. He bounced back with an eagle on the par-5, 14th hole and finished the round with a bogey on the 16th hole with a birdie on the 17th hole.
Ian Poulter, Ryo Ishikawa and Mike Weir are tied for fourth place at one-under par, part of a seven player tie. Also at one-under are K. J. Choi, Alex Cejka, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and amateur Hudson Swafford. Tied at even par are Luke Donald, David Toms, Graeme McDowell, Jason Allred and Dustin Johnson, who has won the last two AT&T National Pebble Beach Pro-Am events.
Woods and Mickelson were both failed by their putters. For Woods, it was the third time in a major that he finished a round with out a birdie. Mickelson struck the ball well but could not get a quality roll. Coming into the week the talk was about how Mickelson possibly overtaking Woods’ top spot in the world rankings. Now, both have to put up good scores to make the cut, let alone contend.
Tie atop U. S. Open leaderboard; Woods, Mickelson not there
Casey started with birdies on the third and fifth holes but finished the front side with a bogey. After making pars through the 14th hole, he birdied the 15th and made bogey on the 16th before finishing with birdie on the final hole.
Micheel made bogey on the second hole but sank consecutive birdies on the fifth and sixth holes. He bogeyed the 13th hole and made birdies on the 14th and 15th holes. Micheel traded bogey for birdie on the 17th and 18th holes.
de Jonge opened the round with five straight pars before making birdies on three of the final four holes of the front nine. He started the back sied with bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes with another on the 13th. He bounced back with an eagle on the par-5, 14th hole and finished the round with a bogey on the 16th hole with a birdie on the 17th hole.
Ian Poulter, Ryo Ishikawa and Mike Weir are tied for fourth place at one-under par, part of a seven player tie. Also at one-under are K. J. Choi, Alex Cejka, Rafael Cabrera-Bello and amateur Hudson Swafford. Tied at even par are Luke Donald, David Toms, Graeme McDowell, Jason Allred and Dustin Johnson, who has won the last two AT&T National Pebble Beach Pro-Am events.
Woods and Mickelson were both failed by their putters. For Woods, it was the third time in a major that he finished a round with out a birdie. Mickelson struck the ball well but could not get a quality roll. Coming into the week the talk was about how Mickelson possibly overtaking Woods’ top spot in the world rankings. Now, both have to put up good scores to make the cut, let alone contend.