Tiger's first day at the Open

[Mandyahl]

Erratic driver keeps Tiger at bay

Despite eagle, Woods settles for even-par 70, 5 shots back

06/13/2003

By TIM COWLISHAW / The Dallas Morning News

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – For Tiger Woods, an eagle by accident interrupted a birdie-free first round that has him tied for 25th, five shots behind the co-leaders.

That's neither where Woods would like to be nor where the field would like to see him. He has never won a U.S. Open coming from behind, but if there's a player in the field who can move from 25th to first in 54 holes without breaking too much of a sweat, it's got to be Woods.

Woods shot an even-par 70, going out early in the morning when the scoring conditions were best. He started on the back nine with eight straight pars before making bogey at 18.

But one of the loudest roars of the day, perhaps eclipsed only when Tom Watson's birdie at No. 7 hung on the lip for six seconds before dropping, was generated by Woods on the par-5 sixth hole. By accident.

Woods' 20-foot eagle putt changed him from a black 1 to a red 1 on the leaderboards around the course. And yet the defending Open champion said he wasn't even trying to shoot for the pin on his long approach.

"I had 237 [yards] to the front. I don't know what it was to the flag," Woods said. "I wasn't firing at the flag, trust me. I was trying to put the ball in the middle of the green and lost it and got away with it."

A bogey on his final hole, the 496-yard par-4 9th, dropped him back to even par.

Woods said he felt comfortable going after only one pin, the 16th. The rest of the day he was forced to shoot conservatively for the middle of the greens, mostly due to his erratic play off the tee.

Woods used his driver only three times but still found just six of 14 fairways (42.9 percent). To compete in the U.S. Open, you have to hit more than 60 percent of the fairways.

In being the only player to beat par at Bethpage Black last June, Woods hit a remarkable 73 percent of the fairways.

"I didn't drive the ball in the fairway where I could actually take a run at a flag or two," Woods said. "I'm hitting it well when I step up and trust my swing. I've just got to do that more often."

His chance to show more confidence in his swing comes Friday at 12:30 p.m.

[Mandyahl]

Friday's open update:

Commotion at the Open?

Singh's ho-hum day includes 63

06/14/2003

By BILL NICHOLS / The Dallas Morning News

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Vijay Singh has been busy, on and off the golf course. He made headlines for criticizing Annika Sorenstam, won the EDS Byron Nelson Championship and fired his caddie.

On Friday, he took on Olympia Fields. He fired a 7-under 63 that tied him with Jim Furyk for the second-round lead of the U.S. Open, the two sharing the tournament scoring record for 36 holes.

Even in becoming only the fourth player in Open history to shoot a 63, and the third to post a 29 for nine holes, Singh was not without controversy.

He was involved in a heckling incident on the 14th green. A fan told Singh, in effect, that Sorenstam would have knocked the shot he had just taken into the hole. The man was whisked away by security, with Singh waving his putter in that direction.

As usual, Singh overcame the distraction. He made his birdie putt as soon as things settled down, then birdied the next hole. Ho, hum. Singh's ability to remain oblivious to commotion sets him up well for what promises to be a wild weekend.

With the North Course at Olympia Fields defenseless with its soft greens and lack of wind, scores resemble a regular tour event instead of the usual torture of a U.S. Open. In the second round, 38 players broke par, the third most in Open history. There are 26 players under par entering the third round.

All sorts of players are in contention, the most significant being defending champion Tiger Woods. Woods is in a group of five players tied for fifth, including Dallas' Justin Leonard, after shooting 66. Even Woody Austin shot 64.

"Any time you're under par at a U.S. Open after two days, you've got a chance," said Woods, who is seeking his ninth major title. "I'm right where I need to be."

Powerful players such as Woods and Singh, and shotmakers such as Furyk, Leonard and Nick Price, who shot 65 to move into a tie for fifth, are contending.

Singh did the most damage. He served notice with an eagle on the first hole, then shot 5-under 29 on the more difficult back nine.

Singh seems as if he is in his own world, especially when it comes to controversy.

After attracting national attention by saying he disagreed with Sorenstam playing in the Bank of America Colonial, he won the Nelson.

As for the incident on No. 14 on Friday, Singh said he didn't even notice the man. However, witnesses said the man yelled so loudly as Singh was lining up his putt that there was no way he could not have heard it.

"I didn't know there was anything," Singh said.

Instead of succumbing to distractions, Singh seems to thrive when the pressure is on.

"I've focused on what I'm doing, and that's playing the golf courses," Singh said. "And I don't read too much newspapers. I just don't let things like that bother me."

Among the players in the top 10, Singh, Price, Woods, Leonard and Tom Watson have won majors.

Furyk is one of the best players to have never won one. But he is headed in the right direction after rounds of 67 and 66.

With conditions so calm, there is not much the USGA can do about the low scores, except put the pins in the most severe spots imaginable.

"Some of the pins were in more dangerous positions today," Watson said. "I expect that they will be in more precarious positions tomorrow."

[Mandyahl]

Saturday's open update...i don't think anyone cares, but i like posting it [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]
Furyk leads in major way

He sets 54-hole Open record, holds three-stroke advantage

06/14/2003

By BILL NICHOLS / The Dallas Morning News

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Jim Furyk is best known for having the most unorthodox swing in golf. But he is on the verge of being identified as a major champion.

After shooting a 3-under 67 on Saturday at Olympia Fields, Furyk enters the final round of the 103rd Open with a three-shot lead over Australian Stephen Leaney.

Nick Price and Vijay Singh are five strokes back, and defending champion Tiger Woods dropped into a tie for 24th at 1 over after shooting 75. Dallas' Justin Leonard is eight shots behind after a 72.

Not only is Furyk poised for his first major victory, but he could break the U.S. Open scoring record.

He stands 10 under at the North Course at Olympia Fields. Another 67 would break Tiger Woods' 72-hole Open record of 12 under, set in 2000 at Pebble Beach.

That certainly does not seem out of reach for Furyk, who has separated himself with rounds of 67-66-67, his 200 breaking the tournament's 54-hole record by three.

"I have put myself in great position," Furyk said. "I have a lot of confidence. I just need to continue playing the same way."

Furyk has been a consistent contender in majors with 11 top-10 finishes. If not for Phil Mickelson, he would be considered the best player to never win one. In eight Opens, Furyk has four top-20s, including ties for fifth place in 1996 and '97.

Sunday, though, will mark the first time he has played in the final group of a major. And he knows it is his tournament to win, or lose.

"I've never had a three-shot lead going into any tournament on Sunday," said Furyk, a seven-time winner in 10 seasons on tour. "I've slept on the lead before, and I'll try to use those experiences, good or bad, tomorrow."

With its soft greens, firm fairways and relatively tame rough, Olympia Fields has been a pushover, with 19 players under par.

When Woods shattered the Open scoring record at Pebble Beach, he was the only one under par, winning by 15 strokes. Until Woods, the previous best 72-hole score was 8 under, held by three players.

Furyk has already set the 36-hole scoring record, which Singh matched, and the 54-hole record. The previous best for 54 holes was 203, held by three players, the last being Lee Janzen at Baltusrol in 1993.

With players going low early, Furyk knew he needed to keep pace. He began the day tied with Singh but took the lead with a birdie on No. 9. Although he bogeyed two holes on the back nine, Furyk countered both with birdies.

"My goal was to go out and play a solid round of golf and put myself in contention for Sunday," Furyk said. "Mission accomplished. Before I teed off, guys were making a bunch of birdies. That made it a little more difficult to stay patient. I had to remind myself that slow and steady at the U.S. Open always works."

While Furyk persevered, Singh struggled down the stretch. His drives landed in the rough, and two of his approach shots landed near grandstands. He bogeyed the par-4 12th to fall one stroke back, then bogeyed the final three holes.

"I'm disappointed with how I finished, but there's a lot of holes tomorrow," Singh said. "Jimmy is playing very well. I don't think he's going to shoot worse than what he did today. I have to go out there and catch up. I don't expect Jimmy to slip too much."

Leaney is a three-time winner on the European Tour, playing in his second Open. His last win came at the 2002 Linde German Masters.

But he finds himself in the final group Sunday at the Open after opening with a 67, then following with two 68s.

"I know I haven't been here before, so I'm not going to try and kid myself," Leaney said. "But I've got great confidence in my game."

[Drbio]

Tiger has been sucking lately. I mean...by his standards.

[Mandyahl]

yeah, i watched some today (i was bored, ok people), and none of his putts were going in

[mavsfanforever]

Originally posted by: Drbio
Tiger has been sucking lately. I mean...by his standards.

he actually sucked. He hit 75 today and that is not good by any standards.

[Mandyahl]

He hit 75 today and that is not good by any standards.

hey, that is good by some standards. if i went out and hit a 75 on that course, that would be awesome considering i have never played golf in my life [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

[mavsfanforever]

Originally posted by: Mandyahl

hey, that is good by some standards. if i went out and hit a 75 on that course, that would be awesome considering i have never played golf in my life [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

What I am saying is in professional golf you seldom see people who hit 75 win it unless the weather is absolutely crazy.

[Drbio]

I'd love to shoot 75. I am giddy all over when I hit 90.