TIGER'S CHAMBERS OF HORRORS
Open course has little bite, but Woods gags up an 80
UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — There is a U.S. Open to be played the rest of this week, and the competition will carry on, with a winner eventually hoisting the trophy Sunday or Monday.
But Thursday’s opening round at Chambers Bay was not about the leaders, it was about yet another uncomfortable-to-watch car wreck involving the once-invincible Tiger Woods.
The more you watch Woods these days the more he resembles the once- great Willie Mays stumbling around the Shea Stadium outfield in his final season in 1973.
Woods, who two weeks ago posted his career-worst score of 85 at the Memorial, continued his stunning free fall from leaderboard relevancy, shooting an opening-round 80 — his worst-ever U.S. Open score in 68 career rounds and his fourth-worst score ever shot as a pro.
Woods will begin his second round in 152nd place in the field of 156 players. Fifteen years after he won the 2000 U.S. Open by a record 15 shots, Woods is 15 shots behind leaders Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson, who both posted 5-under-par 65s.
Woods has become a sideshow of sorts.
On No. 8, he sent one of his irons flying farther through the air than the ball he hit out of the fescue grass.
On No. 14, Woods carded a triple bogey, which included a missed 2-foot putt for double that he stabbed at like an amateur, to tumble to 10-over with four holes still to play. As he walked to the 15th tee, his body language screamed one word: defeated.
The f inal indignation of the day for Woods came on the 18th hole, where he stood in the middle of the fairway needing par to break 80, and he cold-topped his fairway metal, rolling the ball right into a deep bunker.
Watching Woods play competitive golf these days is like watching a slow bleed-out. He has gone from the most dominant, feared player the game had ever seen to a sympathetic figure.
“The bright side is at least I kicked Rickie’s butt,’’ Woods said, trying to humor himself while referring to besting playing partner Rickie Fowler (81) by one shot. “I fought. I fought hard and that was my number today.’’
While Woods will surely be flying back home to Florida shortly after his second round Friday, with 28 majors having been played since he won his last one (in 2008), the likes of Johnson and Stenson will try to duplicate what they did in the opening round.
Before Woods’ latest public on-course implosion, the theme of the day was how much more docile Chambers Bay played than anticipated by many players.
The Loch Ness Monster turned out as tame as Bambi.
After weeks of consternation among players about how Chambers Bay might play, it proved to be much ado about nothing. The 8-year-old course, hosting its first U.S. Open, was not the beast that had been portrayed by players during the practice rounds.
By the time the morning wave of tee times was complete, Johnson and Stenson — two of the game’s top players seeking their first major championship victory — had posted their respective lowest rounds in a major championship.
By the end of the round, there were 25 players under par — an unheard-of number for a U.S. Open, which usually keeps under-par rounds to a minimum.
Right behind Johnson and Stenson on the leaderboard is Patrick Reed at 4-under par, followed by Matt Kuchar, Ben Martin and amateur Brian Campbell at 3-under.
Among several players at 2-under are Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Jason Dufner. Phil Mickelson and Colin Montgomerie, who’s in the field by virtue of being the 2014 Senior U.S. Open champion, are among numerous players at 1-under.
“Certainly, if we keep on posting some red numbers, I’m sure we’re going to see a few of those tee boxes moved back, and potentially some tricky pins as we move along throughout the weekend,’’ Stenson said. “It’s a golf course that can be set up as difficult as [the USGA] wants to set it up.’’
Kuchar called the course setup “great,’’ adding, “I think the USGA typically has a formula where they start out and it’s quite playable Thursday, Friday and I think we’ll see it teeter on the edge come Saturday, Sunday.’’