A tough course
Dustin Johnson, Ian Poulter, Scott Piercy and Russell Henley are tied for the lead after Thursday’s opening round of the U.S. Open, the only golfers to shoot under par. Tiger Woods is nine shots back.
Things got ugly on the back nine of the U.S. Open for Tiger Woods.
After rallying to play the final seven holes on the front side in 1-under par following a triple bogey and bogey on the first two holes, Woods fell apart on the greens.
Woods bogeyed the 11th, then made successive double bogeys on 13 and 14, including a four-putt on the 13th.
After the second straight 6, Woods walked slowly off the green, seemingly beaten by Shinnecock's harsh greens and his failing putter. At that point, he was 8-over par.
Woods ended the day with a first-round 8-over-78, nine strokes out of the lead, in the company of Phil Mickelson (7 over), Jordan Spieth (8 over),
Jason Day (9 over) and Rory
McIlroy (10 over).
"I just didn't get off to a good start," Woods said. "I drove good most of the day, just didn't do much from there. I just didn't putt well."
It wasn't his worst opener in this tournament. Woods shot an 80 at Chambers Bay three years ago, his most recent U.S. Open before back surgeries sidelined him.
The eagle has landed
Dean Burmester figured out a solution to the problem many players at the U.S. Open were having with the greens at Shinnecock Hills.
He holed out from the fairway for eagle on No. 18, a 485-yard par 4.
Burmester drove 411 yards to the right side of the fairway, leaving himself 103 yards to the hole. His iron went right into the cup, sending the gallery into a huge cheer.
The shot helped salvage a difficult back nine for Burmester. He had three bogeys, along with a triple bogey on the par-4 13th hole that dropped him to 7 over.
He finished the day plus-5.
Search parties needed at Shinnecock Hills
The rough is so thick at Shinnecock that players were having a hard time finding their golf ball even with help from volunteers.
Dustin Johnson had a search party of about 30 when his tee shot on No. 6 went too far to the left. Among those looking for his ball was Tiger Woods and part of the television crew. Not only was the ball found, Johnson got a little more help.
Former PGA champion Rich Beem, working for Sky Sports, found the ball by stepping on it.
Gregory bringing up the rear
Twenty-three-year-old Scott Gregory thinks he was just a kid the last time he shot in the 90s.
"It's been a long time," the 2016 British Amateur champion said after shooting a 22-over 92 on Thursday. "It's not the week I wanted to revisit it."
Gregory finished the day five strokes behind the second-to-last golfer, Michael Hebert. The 92 was the highest score at the U.S. Open since Felix Casas shot 92 at Bethpage Black in 2002, but still short of J.D. Tucker's 107 at the Myopia Hunt Club in 1898.
Many golfers are finding Shinnecock Hills unforgiving.
"You can't miss it long, short, left or right," Gregory said. "If you hit it in the middle, you're all right."