Notes and Quotes from the U.S. Open:
It was as easy as 1-2-3 for world’s top golfers – U.S. Open
BETHESDA, Md. – Falling off the leaderboard was as easy as 1-2-3 for the world’s top three golfers Thursday, with the start of the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club.The first three golfers on the Official World Golf Ranking, playing in the same grouping, all failed to come close to their advance billing. In fact, they didn’t even break Congressional’s par of 71.
No. 1 Luke Donald, shooting a 3-over-par 74, started at No.10 and birdied his first two holes. Then he crashed. He played his next six in 6 over, with four birdies and a double bogey-6 at his ninth, No. 18, of which he said, “You need a great drive and a great second shot. It’s going to be a tough four if you need a four to win.” Of his six-hole wobble: “My start line was a little bit too far left, and I need to work on that.”
No. 2 Lee Westwood was at even-par through his first 11 holes, then bogeyed four of his last seven for a 4-over 75. “I didn’t swing it very well last week, either,” Westwood said. “You just don’t get away with it at the U.S. Open.”
No. 3 Martin Kaymer wrapped six bogeys around three birdies for a 74 and was mad at his driver. “I’m struggling with the driver at the moment,” Kaymer said. “My short game kept me alive. I was saving a lot of pars, and made great birdie putts. If I can build on that tomorrow, it will be great.”
Overall, it was quite an unimpressive showing by the world’s top three. Said Westwood: “I think we all just about got what we deserved.”
NO HALLUCINATION: Yes, that was Davis Love in pink slacks. And him with a warehouse full of matched khakis.
ARE YOU KIDDING? I: Stewart Cink (70), on being asked whether he likes his position in this first round of the U.S. Open: “I like being under par. It wasn’t a U.S. Open-style round at all, but I’ll take under par.”
CHANGE OF VIEWPOINT: Other tournaments, you play to make birdies. Ireland’s Shane Lowry (72) sees the U.S. Open differently. “Out here, you went out with the mindset of not to make doubles,” he said. “You can deal with bogeys out here, but a double is quite hard to take.” He even had an anti-double strategy. “Anytime I hit it out of position off the tee, off the fairway, try to leave 10, 15 feet for par and hole it from there,” he said. Or settle for two putts. “It takes the double out of play,” he said. His strategy worked. He had three birdies, four bogeys.
BACK TO THE FUTURE: Graeme McDowell, who won the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, was feeling immensely better about his opening 70. “I was excited to maybe close a chapter that was the last 12 months and start talking about the future rather than talking about the past,” he said. “I feel like I’ve spent the last three months talking about Pebble and defending my Open title. I really felt that I had already sort of did all the talking and I was ready to move forward.”
THE BOGEY MAN LURKETH: Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, at least contented with his 71, said that just let someone shoot a low score and the U.S. Golf Association will protect Congressional like a mother bear protecting its cub. Asked whether the course would be made tougher for later in the week, Harrington noted: “If somebody starts rolling to 6, 7, 8, 10 under par, they’re going to make it tougher. They’re controlling the scores. They understand what needs to be done to the course, in terms of pin positions, tee boxes, to get the scores they want rather. At the moment,” he added, after his early start, “this morning is as easy as you’re going to get.”
NOW, THAT’S A GREENS FEE: England’s Robert Rock, who scored his first European Tour victory in last week’s BMW Italian Open, wanted awfully badly to play in the U.S. Open – for a reported $24,000 worth, in fact. Rock, 34, got his spot through an overseas qualifier in England. He said he was then stalled on his application for a U.S. visa after admitting he had a drink-and-drive incidence as an 18-year-old. Getting a last-minute visa cost him 15,000 pounds in legal fees. But Rock later said “It was nowhere near that much.” Complicated travel arrangements got him to Congressional in time to tee it up Thursday – with little sleep, a case of jet lag, and without a practice round. Rock put the toughest-fought 70 on the board.
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