SEASON'S SECOND MAJOR STARTS AT PINEHURST NUMBER TWO
McDOWELL AND NA EARLY LEADERS
WITH 68s IN UNITED STATES OPEN
FROM THE US PGA WEBSITE
PINEHURST, North Carolina -- Jordan Spieth is on the leaderboard of a large event once again. He shot 1-under 69 on Thursday morning and was one shot off the US Open lead after the morning wave. He made four birdies and three bogeys.
"We had ideal scoring conditions, if that's a thing, at a U.S. Open," Spieth said.
The USGA watered the course in the morning, and overcast skies allowed the greens to stay receptive for much of the morning round.
Spieth was runner-up at this year's Masters and played in the final group of THE PLAYERS Championship en route to a fourth-place finish. This is Spieth's third U.S. Open appearance. He was low amateur in 2012 (T21) and missed the cut last year.
Spieth's 69 matches his low round in a major championship. He also shot 69 in the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open and first round of last year's Open Championship.
"I'm striking it pretty well. It's getting close," Spieth said. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in the first round.
Spieth, 20, is No. 5 in the FedExCup.
WITH 68s IN UNITED STATES OPEN
FROM THE US PGA WEBSITE
PINEHURST, North Carolina -- Jordan Spieth is on the leaderboard of a large event once again. He shot 1-under 69 on Thursday morning and was one shot off the US Open lead after the morning wave. He made four birdies and three bogeys.
"We had ideal scoring conditions, if that's a thing, at a U.S. Open," Spieth said.
The USGA watered the course in the morning, and overcast skies allowed the greens to stay receptive for much of the morning round.
Spieth was runner-up at this year's Masters and played in the final group of THE PLAYERS Championship en route to a fourth-place finish. This is Spieth's third U.S. Open appearance. He was low amateur in 2012 (T21) and missed the cut last year.
Spieth's 69 matches his low round in a major championship. He also shot 69 in the third round of the 2012 U.S. Open and first round of last year's Open Championship.
"I'm striking it pretty well. It's getting close," Spieth said. He hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in the first round.
Spieth, 20, is No. 5 in the FedExCup.
SPEED OF GREENS BAFFLES McILROY
Rory McIlroy was very pleased with the way he struck the ball.
He played aggressively yet stayed out of trouble. That’s usually a good recipe for a low score. Alas, his putting didn’t co-operate. He couldn’t figure out the speed of Pinehurst’s turtle-back greens. As a result, he had to settle for a 1-over 71 that still leaves him within shouting distance of the leaders but knowing there’s work to be done.
“I played beautifully from tee to green and really happy with that,” said McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champ.
“I’m just going to work a little bit on my speed on the greens. If I can get that dialed in, then pretty confident going into the next three days.”
McIlroy hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation and, even more impressively, he missed just one fairway.
“He played magnificent this morning,” said playing partner Graeme McDowell. “He hit some beautiful golf shots. I’d like to play like that sometime, but it’s never going to happen.”
Still, McDowell shot 2-under 68 while using a more conservative approach than McIlroy. He illustrated the difference in their rounds at the par-4 eighth.
McDowell used a 6-iron on his approach shot while McIlroy had a much shorter iron following his big drive. But McDowell ended up with an easy two-putt par while McIlroy had to scramble after missing the hole with his approach.
McDowell said afterwards that while he's not being critical of McIlroy and anybody else who plays aggressively, he sees little advantage in the bomb-and-gouge approach this week at Pinehurst.
“I feel like it tempts you into making mistakes,” McDowell said of the big drives, “because the greens are so severe that you can’t get close with 8-iron, never mind 6- or 4-irons. I kind of felt like perhaps the big drives may tempt you a little too much, and tempt you into making mistakes.”
McIlroy, though, is only concerned about fixing his putting issues.
“The only thing I was frustrated on was more the speed of how I hit the putts,” he said. “It wasn’t so much they missed. Even if they missed, if they were a better speed I would be a bit more happy with that.”
Rory McIlroy was very pleased with the way he struck the ball.
He played aggressively yet stayed out of trouble. That’s usually a good recipe for a low score. Alas, his putting didn’t co-operate. He couldn’t figure out the speed of Pinehurst’s turtle-back greens. As a result, he had to settle for a 1-over 71 that still leaves him within shouting distance of the leaders but knowing there’s work to be done.
“I played beautifully from tee to green and really happy with that,” said McIlroy, the 2011 U.S. Open champ.
“I’m just going to work a little bit on my speed on the greens. If I can get that dialed in, then pretty confident going into the next three days.”
McIlroy hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation and, even more impressively, he missed just one fairway.
“He played magnificent this morning,” said playing partner Graeme McDowell. “He hit some beautiful golf shots. I’d like to play like that sometime, but it’s never going to happen.”
Still, McDowell shot 2-under 68 while using a more conservative approach than McIlroy. He illustrated the difference in their rounds at the par-4 eighth.
McDowell used a 6-iron on his approach shot while McIlroy had a much shorter iron following his big drive. But McDowell ended up with an easy two-putt par while McIlroy had to scramble after missing the hole with his approach.
McDowell said afterwards that while he's not being critical of McIlroy and anybody else who plays aggressively, he sees little advantage in the bomb-and-gouge approach this week at Pinehurst.
“I feel like it tempts you into making mistakes,” McDowell said of the big drives, “because the greens are so severe that you can’t get close with 8-iron, never mind 6- or 4-irons. I kind of felt like perhaps the big drives may tempt you a little too much, and tempt you into making mistakes.”
McIlroy, though, is only concerned about fixing his putting issues.
“The only thing I was frustrated on was more the speed of how I hit the putts,” he said. “It wasn’t so much they missed. Even if they missed, if they were a better speed I would be a bit more happy with that.”
SNEDEKER SLIPS TO 69 FROM 4 UNDER
Sure, he went out in a red-hot 4 under. But Brandt Snedeker knew better than to think Pinehurst No. 2 was going to be a pushover.
And he was right. Donald Ross's signature lay-out exacted its revenge on the back nine as Snedeker bogeyed the 10th, double bogeyed No. 11 and made another bogey at the 12th hole. He did manage a couple of birdies and another bogey on the way home to finish with a 69.
"I had no illusions in my mind," Snedeker said. "... I knew there was a stretch of holes that were going to be less than perfect, have to try to survive. I didn't do a great job, made that double on 11 which was kind of a bad double, thinking-wise.
"But I didn't get too down on myself and realized that it can happen. Hopefully that will be the last time I do that this week."
Snedeker hit 12 of 18 greens in regulation, nine of 16 fairways and took 28 putts. He three-putted twice but Snedeker, who put a new putter in the bag this week, couldn't be too disappointed.
The putter is a Bridgestone True Balance TD-02. His old Odyssey White Hot XG Rossie is here in Pinehurst with him but remains in the trunk "trying to learn its lessons," Snedeker said with a smile.
This is the first time he's changed putters since 2006, and just the fourth time "since I can remember," Snedeker said.
But after slipping from fourth last year in strokes-gained putting to 56th this year, he decided he needed a change.
"It's something I've been fooling around with for a while," Snedeker said. "I thought I haven't been putting up to my standards the last six months, I felt like. And it's not a big change. A little different insert in it and just felt like it needed a different look.
"It worked great today. Made a lot of 15, 20-footers, which I've been struggling with from that distance, 10 to 20-footers, and made a bunch of them today."
Snedeker said his speed with the putter was slightly off on the back nine. At the same time, though, he said the greens picked up about a foot on the Stimpmeter as the sun came out to bake the course.
"We got lucky, teeing third off," Snedeker said. "The first nine holes, you were able to hit the ball where you were looking, then the back nine had started firming up and start playing. The guys in the afternoon are going to have a tough go. It's going to be firm."
McDOWELL AND NA (68) TIED FOR LEAD
Sure, he went out in a red-hot 4 under. But Brandt Snedeker knew better than to think Pinehurst No. 2 was going to be a pushover.
And he was right. Donald Ross's signature lay-out exacted its revenge on the back nine as Snedeker bogeyed the 10th, double bogeyed No. 11 and made another bogey at the 12th hole. He did manage a couple of birdies and another bogey on the way home to finish with a 69.
"I had no illusions in my mind," Snedeker said. "... I knew there was a stretch of holes that were going to be less than perfect, have to try to survive. I didn't do a great job, made that double on 11 which was kind of a bad double, thinking-wise.
"But I didn't get too down on myself and realized that it can happen. Hopefully that will be the last time I do that this week."
Snedeker hit 12 of 18 greens in regulation, nine of 16 fairways and took 28 putts. He three-putted twice but Snedeker, who put a new putter in the bag this week, couldn't be too disappointed.
The putter is a Bridgestone True Balance TD-02. His old Odyssey White Hot XG Rossie is here in Pinehurst with him but remains in the trunk "trying to learn its lessons," Snedeker said with a smile.
This is the first time he's changed putters since 2006, and just the fourth time "since I can remember," Snedeker said.
But after slipping from fourth last year in strokes-gained putting to 56th this year, he decided he needed a change.
"It's something I've been fooling around with for a while," Snedeker said. "I thought I haven't been putting up to my standards the last six months, I felt like. And it's not a big change. A little different insert in it and just felt like it needed a different look.
"It worked great today. Made a lot of 15, 20-footers, which I've been struggling with from that distance, 10 to 20-footers, and made a bunch of them today."
Snedeker said his speed with the putter was slightly off on the back nine. At the same time, though, he said the greens picked up about a foot on the Stimpmeter as the sun came out to bake the course.
"We got lucky, teeing third off," Snedeker said. "The first nine holes, you were able to hit the ball where you were looking, then the back nine had started firming up and start playing. The guys in the afternoon are going to have a tough go. It's going to be firm."
McDOWELL AND NA (68) TIED FOR LEAD
Graeme McDowell and Kevin Na each shot 2-under 68s in unexpectedly
receptive conditions Thurday morning at Pinehurst No. 2. They are one
shot ahead of six players -- Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Brendon
Todd, Matt Kuchar and former FedExCup champions Brandt Snedeker and
Henrik Stenson.
Both McDowell and Na made eagles on the par-5 fifth hole. McDowell made a 12-foot putt for eagle, while Na chipped in.
McDowell, who won the 2010 U.S. Open and was runner-up in 2012, also had one birdie and one bogey. He hit 13 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation.
"This was a golf course where I spent the last few days just preparing myself mentally for the challenge, really, knowing that this golf course wasn't going to give much and it was only going to take," McDowell said.
"So I really kind of felt like I got my head in the right place the last few days. It wasn't my best ball-striking display this morning, but you don't have to strike it amazing around here, you just have to position the ball correctly at all times."
This is Na's first sub-par score in nine U.S. Open rounds; his scoring average in his first three U.S. Opens was 75.1. Na made three bogeys and three birdies in addition to that eagle. He also hit 13 of 14 fairways, while hitting 15 of 18 greens.
Na didn't get into the U.S. Open field until his runner-up finish at the Memorial, where he lost to Matsuyama in a play-off. Na moved from 70th to 40th in the Official World Golf Ranking after Memorial, earning an exemption for being in the top 60 of this week's edition of the Official World Golf Ranking.
"It was a lot of fun," Na said. "I hit it great today. I hit my irons great."
Both McDowell and Na made eagles on the par-5 fifth hole. McDowell made a 12-foot putt for eagle, while Na chipped in.
McDowell, who won the 2010 U.S. Open and was runner-up in 2012, also had one birdie and one bogey. He hit 13 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens in regulation.
"This was a golf course where I spent the last few days just preparing myself mentally for the challenge, really, knowing that this golf course wasn't going to give much and it was only going to take," McDowell said.
"So I really kind of felt like I got my head in the right place the last few days. It wasn't my best ball-striking display this morning, but you don't have to strike it amazing around here, you just have to position the ball correctly at all times."
This is Na's first sub-par score in nine U.S. Open rounds; his scoring average in his first three U.S. Opens was 75.1. Na made three bogeys and three birdies in addition to that eagle. He also hit 13 of 14 fairways, while hitting 15 of 18 greens.
Na didn't get into the U.S. Open field until his runner-up finish at the Memorial, where he lost to Matsuyama in a play-off. Na moved from 70th to 40th in the Official World Golf Ranking after Memorial, earning an exemption for being in the top 60 of this week's edition of the Official World Golf Ranking.
"It was a lot of fun," Na said. "I hit it great today. I hit my irons great."
MICKELSON TEES OFF WITH A PAR 70
Phil Mickelson began his quest for the career
Grand Slam with an even-par 70
The score left him just two shots off the clubhouse lead when he walked off the ninth green -- his 18th hole of the day.
Mickelson started fast, with birdies at his opening hole -- the par-5 10th -- and at the par-4 14th. He gave back one shot with a bogey at the par-3 15th to make the turn at 1 under.
He then birdied the other par-5 -- the fifth hole before suffering bogeys in two of the next three holes.
Mickelson hit 13 greens and 9 of 14 fairways. "I played really well," Mickelson said. "I drove it great. Everytime I hit driver, I hit the fairway."
As for his putting? Mickelson needed 31 putts. He was using a claw grip, which he recently switched to in hopes of improving his performance on the green
"I putted OK," said Mickelson, who added that he was pleased with his short putting, but didn't make any of the 15-20 footers needed to have a low score.
After winning the Open Championship at Muirfield last year, Mickelson needs to win the U.S. Open in order to complete the career Grand Slam.
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The score left him just two shots off the clubhouse lead when he walked off the ninth green -- his 18th hole of the day.
Mickelson started fast, with birdies at his opening hole -- the par-5 10th -- and at the par-4 14th. He gave back one shot with a bogey at the par-3 15th to make the turn at 1 under.
He then birdied the other par-5 -- the fifth hole before suffering bogeys in two of the next three holes.
Mickelson hit 13 greens and 9 of 14 fairways. "I played really well," Mickelson said. "I drove it great. Everytime I hit driver, I hit the fairway."
As for his putting? Mickelson needed 31 putts. He was using a claw grip, which he recently switched to in hopes of improving his performance on the green
"I putted OK," said Mickelson, who added that he was pleased with his short putting, but didn't make any of the 15-20 footers needed to have a low score.
After winning the Open Championship at Muirfield last year, Mickelson needs to win the U.S. Open in order to complete the career Grand Slam.
CHECK OUT THE LIVE SCORING
CLICK HERE
Labels: US OPEN
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Thursday, June 12, 2014
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