TIGER STARTS WTH A ONE-OVER 71, SIX OFF THE PACE IN US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By JAMES CORRIGAN
Tiger Woods has always been renowned for turning 71s into 67s but he did the exact reverse of golfing alchemy here yesterday.

At one over, it was anything but the start he was looking for at the 95th USPGA Championship as he tries to win his first major in more than five years.

The very best he could hope for as he dejectedly walked back to his courtesy car, was a six-shot deficit when he resumes this afternoon. Jim Furyk, Woods’s old Ryder Cup partner, was in the clubhouse with a 65, leading the stampede under par. Of the 78 who teed off in the morning, 23 were ahead of Woods. And that plainly disgusted him.

“Realistically, that round should have been under par easily,” Woods said, sweat dripping down his face.

“I feel like I played well today and made some key putts.”

It was not just the final-hole double bogey pulling his mood south. Woods had looked so composed on the second hole [his 11th] when, in his own words, he “stuffed” his approach to three feet. He was two under at the time with the lead in his sights. Yet, rather incredibly considering how he had putted not only on his front nine but also during his seven-stroke win last week in Akron, he yanked the tiddler, not even hitting the hole.
 The ticking one could hear was not the bomb just about to explode, but the stopwatch of a referee checking for slow play.

“I probably should have taken a little longer, but we were on the clock and had to get going,” Woods said.

He revealed that his group, which also featured his countrymen Keegan Bradley and Davis Love, which was followed by huge crowds, were being timed from the first, their 10th, until the fourth. It was on the last-named par five where his day began to unravel.
Woods had not pulled his driver from its head cover until this moment. But when confronted with the 574-yarder he could resist no longer. Predictably, he found the rough, then hit a tree with his second, hit his nine-iron approach into a green-side bunker, then failed to get up and down.
Still, the bogey six only sent him back to one under and he required a mere par on the 446-yard ninth to break par for the first time in a competitive round at Oak Hill. He pushed his tee-shot, tried an audacious cut around the trees and located the thick rough on the left in front of the green. Woods hacked it under the lip of the bunker and from there the double bogey, which made him three-under for his last six holes, was inevitable.
Woods will need to go low this afternoon and it is highly doubtful he will find the Donald Ross creation as forgiving again. Overnight storms had softened the layout, there was no wind and the sun was out
. Perhaps this place just does not suit Woods. In 2003, Woods ended in a tie for 39th, his worst 72-hole finish in a major as a pro until last year’s Masters. Even the most ferocious of Tigers have unhappy hunting grounds.
In truth, he did not play as well as he claimed. But for his scrambling powers – he “upped and downed” seven times out of eight – it would have been a lot worse. Woods’s grim countenance was in direct contrast to that of Paul Casey. The former world No 3 took another few strides back towards rejoining the game’s elite with a 67, his lowest opening round in a major for eight years. Henrik Stenson fired a 68, which was a surprise to nobody.
In his last three events, the Swede has finished third in the Scottish Open, second in the Open and second in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Furyk would be such a popular winner with the galleries. “Blue-collar Jim” suffered badly last year as he threw away the US Open and then lost a critical point against Sergio García in the Ryder Cup singles when one up with two to play. 
With all his money, as well as a major title in the bank, it would have been easy for the 43-year-old to melt away. But here he is, still putting himself in golf’s firing line.
 “This sport beats you up,” he said. “If I played 25 events a year and won one a year for my entire career, I would be a hell of a player – but I’d have lost 24 events a year. You’ve got to take your lumps. I’m on a nice little high, but you lot are trying to bring me down by talking about this. Damn.”
Later, Furyk was joined by Adam Scott, the Masters champion, who was five-under after 14. The action was held up for 70 minutes when storms moved through.
There was plenty to maintain English interest as both Lee Westwood and Justin Rose advanced to three-under, having played 14 and 16 holes respectively. Rory McIlroy was also showing up well, leaving behind his indifferent form to stand at two-under after 14 holes. Ian Poulter was one-under after 13 while Luke Donald was level with four remaining. 

FIRST ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 70
Players from USA unless stated
65 Jim Furyk, Adam Scott (Australia)
66 David Hearn (Canada), Lee Westwood (England)
67 Robert Garrigus, Paul Casey (England), Matt Kuchar, Marcus Fraser (Australia), Scott Piercy, Jason Day (Australia).

OTHER SELECTED SCORES
68 Rafael Cabrera Bello (Spain), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Migual Angel Jimenez (Spain), Justin Rose (England) (T11).
69 Sergio Garcia (Spain), David Lynn (England), Scott Jamieson (Scotland), Darren Clarke (N Ireland), Rory McIlroy (N Ireland) (T22)
70 Graeme McDowell (N Ireland), Ian Poulter (England), Shane Lowry (Ireland) (T36).
71 Tiger Woods, Luke Donald, Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium), Martin Laird (Scotland), Phil Mickelson (T50)
72 Paul Lawrie (Scotland), Richie Ramsay (Scotland) (T74)
73 Danny Willett (England) (T91)
74 Ernie Els (S Africa), Gonzalo Fernandez Castano (Spain), Marc Warren (Scotland) (T108)
75 Stephen Gallacher (Scotland), Chris Wood (England) (T123)
76 Padraig Harrington (Ireland), Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) (T132)
78 Paul McGinley (Ireland) (T146)
80 Jamie Donaldson (Wales) (T152)
81 Lee Rhind (Scotland) (154th)

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