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Thompson Comes Out Firing at US Open
Teen Dream Turns Sour For China's Zhang
Woods Sends Out Warning at US Open
Olympic Humbles Mickelson, Watson
McDowell, Rose Lead British Challenge
US Open A Thrill Ride For Martin
Thompson Comes Out Firing at US Open
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2012 (AFP) - Michael Thompson refused to buy in to the tension of the US Open atmosphere, and his laid-back approach paid dividends as he seized the first-round lead at The Olympic Club on Thursday.
"I've got nothing to lose," said Thompson, playing his second US Open and his third major championship as a professional.
"This is just a bonus in my career. I'm not guaranteed into all the majors as a professional, and to be able to have the opportunity to play is just a wonderful experience."
The 27-year-old from Alabama made the most of it, firing seven birdies with just three bogeys for a four-under total of 66.
His morning round stood up for a three-shot overnight lead, but his closest pursuers might give him pause -- a group of five led by 14-time major champion Tiger Woods.
While the likes of Masters champion Bubba Watson and four-time major winner Phil Mickelson, world number one Luke Donald and defending champion Rory McIlroy wrestled unsuccessfully with Olympic's Lake Course, Thompson returned in style to the layout where he finished runner-up in the 2007 US Amateur Championship.
"I've been working hard since Friday and I think that really calmed me down ... I just went out and enjoyed the experience. I didn't really care what happened today."
Thompson, who said qualifying for the tournament was more stressful than his opening round, shook off a bogey at the par-four first with a birdie at the par-three third.
Back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth were followed by birdies at seven and nine as he made the turn at even par.
He settled into his rhythm coming home, using a hot putter to nab four birdies in his final eight holes.
"On the backside, seems like every putt went in the hole," Thompson said. "I think I made five threes in a row, and then was cruising."
His birdie putt at 18 drew an appreciative cheer from the fans in the grandstand, nestled on the hillside just below Olympic's clubhouse.
"I was just trying to make a good putt and made I guess a 10-footer or so for birdie to finish off the round," Thompson said.
As he gained steam, attention on his group increased.
"Got a little nervous there once all those cameras showed up," he admitted. "But I really held it together -- 16 was playing really difficult into the wind today and then 17, I thought I hit a great third shot and then almost putted it in from just off the back of the green."
Thompson was paired Thursday with Colt Knost, who beat him 2 and 1 in that 36-hole US Amateur final in 2007. Knost carded a 75
"Today was fun with Colt," said Thompson, who turned pro in 2008 and joined the PGA Tour in 2011. "We talked about the US Amateur and the changes with the golf course from then till now."
Thompson knew that most who looked at the leaderboard would zero in on one name behind him: Tiger Woods.
That's fine with him.
"I've always kind of flown under the radar," Thompson said. "I've always been a player that just kind of hangs around. I don't give up very easily and I'm very proud of that.
"Give Tiger the spotlight. I don't care. I'm going to go out and play my game. If I go out and putt the way I did today, I'll be in contention."
Teen Dream Turns Sour For China's Zhang
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2012 (AFP) - Chinese teenager Andy Zhang saw his US Open dream rapidly turn into a nightmare when he teed off at San Francisco's Olympic Club on Thursday.
At 14 and 1/2 years, the Beijing-born, but Florida-based Zhang is believed to be the youngest player ever to compete in the US Open which was first held in 1895.
And his lack of experience at this level and on such a demanding layout was cruelly exposed from the off as he opened triple-double bogey followed by three more bogeys to stand at a morale-sapping eight over after just five holes.
Zhang steadied the ship somewhat after that, but he still had to settle for a nine over 79, birdieing the 18th to duck under 80.
That left him languishing just above the bottom rung of the leaderboard and with little or no hope of making the cut.
Sounding slightly shell-shocked, but not too distraught, Zhang -- who made it into the field only on Monday after being the fifth alternate through qualifying -- admitted that he had been up against it throughout his round.
"It was really tough," he said.
"On the first tee I was like, just please don't hit a hundred yard slice off the first tee, and I was shaking really hard. But I hit a great shot.
"After that I didn't hit the ball quite well, but my putting was OK. The course is really tough. So I'm actually OK with what I shot today. At least I broke 80.
"I shot eight over in the first five holes, and then I made that par and then kind of got like a start, knew how to play golf a little bit after that."
The picture was very different for another teenage amateur in the shape of 17-year-old Beau Hossler from San Diego.
He came in with a tremendous par-70, which left him near the top of the leaderboard and just one stroke back from Tiger Woods.
The difference for Hossler compared to Zhang was that the American was playing in his second US Open, having qualified for last year's tournament at Congressional, Washington DC as a 16-year-old.
Asked if he had been suprised by the way he had performed on such a big stage, having gone out early in the day's first grouping, a confident Hossler replied: "Not at all.
"I've been playing really well lately. I expected myself to go out there and get a lot out of my round. I still left a few out there but you have to accept that, it's the US Open it's going to happen."
Woods Sends Out Warning at US Open
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2012 (AFP) - Tiger Woods made his best start to a US Open in a decade on Thursday, firing a one-under 69 on San Francisco's brutal Olympic Club course to send out a stark warning to the rest of the field. 
That early morning broadside put the 36-year-old former world No.1 into equal second place, three strokes behind surprise first round leader, 27-year-old US qualifier Michael Thompson.
The confident manner Woods opened the tournament will boost his hopes of winning a record-equalling fourth US Open title on Sunday, four years after he won the last of his 14 majors at nearby Pebble Beach.
That would leave him just three shy of his ultimate goal of matching and then passing the alltime major record of 18 set by Jack Nicklaus at the 1986 Masters.
"I had a good game plan going in and I executed all the way through and ended up with a score under par. Which was nice," Woods said.
"I felt very pleased with every facet of my game and I stayed very patient out there."
Level with Woods on 69 was 2001 USPGA champion David Toms, a veteran of 45 who has won just one tournament in the last six years, US outsider Nick Watney, former European No.1 Justin Rose of England and the 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland.
There then followed an international mix of players on level-par 70 -- including US hopes Matt Kuchar and Jim Furyk, colourful Englishman Ian Poulter, towering Swede Robert Karlsson and 17-year-old US amateur Beau Hossler.
But it was a crushing day for two of the top American hopes - Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson - who were in the day's glamour grouping alongside Woods.
Five-time US Open runner-up Mickelson struggled badly, losing a ball in the gnarled Monterey Cypress trees with his opening drive and never really settling into his game after that as he limped along to a six-over 76.
Masters champion Bubba Watson fared even worse as he sprayed the ball off the tee with his distinctive pink driver en route to a horrendous 78.
English hopes were left bruised and battered also as world No 1 Luke Donald had a day to forget with nine bogeys in a demoralising 79 that will once again raise question-marks over whether he can one day win a major title.
"As I said earlier, at the US Open, the margins are that much smaller and if you're just a little bit off, which I was today, it's tough," Donald said.
"My putter kind of went cold today, otherwise I could have probably ground out some more respectable score. But this place is tough."
Countryman and playing partner Lee Westwood battled back from a poor start for a creditable 73, while the third member of the afternoon's top grouping -- defending champion Rory McIlroy -- also struggled.
The 23-year-old Ulsterman produced none of the fireworks we saw from him last year at Congressional in Washington as he stumbled along to a 77 and a battle on his hands just to make the cut.
Despite weather conditions being near perfect, only six players managed to duck under par, clear testimony to the toughness of the rolling par-70 Lake Course, which is hosting the US Open for the fifth time.
Woods was coming off a win in his last tournament, The Memorial, but has struggled for consistency of late, best illustrated by a tie for 40th in the Masters in April - the worst performance of his professional career in the year's first major.
But, starting from the ninth hole, he was immediately into his stride splitting the first four fairways as he opened with five straight pars.
A bogey on the 14th was cancelled by a birdie on the par-five 17th where he holed from four feet as he went out in level par 36.
Woods then stayed steady through the Lake Course's feared opening six holes highlighted by back-to-back bidies at the fourth and fifth -- where he sunk putts from 10 feet and then 30 feet.
He dropped one though at the next after failing to get up and down from a bunker having pushed his approach shot, and parred his way in from there.
The unheralded Thompson, a runner-up in the US Amateur Championship here in 2007, had seven birdies against three bogeys in his round of 66.
"This is one of my favorite golf courses. So I've got good feelings coming in here. I just got the putter hot today," he said.
Toms said that on such a demanding course, total concentration was the key.
"You really just have to concentrate, give it your all on every shot and never give in to the golf course because it will punish you if your attitude is not good, if your concentration is not good," he said.
Olympic Humbles Mickelson, Watson
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2012 (AFP) - Pre-tournament buzz surrounding Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson and their marquee pairing with Tiger Woods faded quickly Thursday as their opening rounds unravelled at the US Open.
Mickelson was in trouble from his first tee shot, at the par-four ninth. It got lost in a tree and he went back to the tee.
He did well to salvage a bogey, but things didn't improve.
"I didn't play well, obviously," said Mickelson, who has won four major titles but never nabbed a US Open trophy.
He has a record five runner-up finishes in the event, but Thursday's round left him hoping he could just make the cut on Friday.
"I fought hard there for a while trying to keep it a few over," said Mickelson, who finished with a six-over 76.
"Three-putting four really hurt because I probably tried to get a little aggressive. I felt like I needed one birdie there and I ended up three-putting.
"It was a tough day when you play the way I did."
Watson, who claimed his first major title at The Masters in April, posted an eight-over 78.
"It beat me up today," he said of the 7,170-yard Olympic layout.
Watson had said before the tournament he wasn't sure if he liked Olympic, and he didn't sound as if he'd been won over after a round that included seven bogeys and a double-bogey and just one birdie.
"It's disappointing starting off like this, doesn't matter what tournament," Watson said. "Every year we're going to play a different US Open venue, so I've got to just come out and try to play it."
Watson's double-bogey came at the par-four 18th, his 10th hole of the day.
"Club on the chip got twisted and I got an awkward spot there and missed the putt," he said. "So quick double-bogey there, quick five-over.
"Even with a birdie, just couldn't get anything going. Never got any rhythm."
Mickelson said he thought he made some beneficial adjustments around the turn, and he hoped for more improvements on Friday.
"The score didn't really stay great, but I started to hit it a little bit better," he said. "I've got a tough challenge just to get to the weekend tomorrow, unfortunately.
"I'll go out tomorrow and see if I can shoot something under par," added Mickelson, saying he'd try to "put this round aside for now, and see if I can just play one round under par.
"Maybe that will get me to the weekend."
Woods, who stayed steady to post a one-under 69 that left him three shots off Michael Thompson's early lead, said it didn't take much for things to go horribly wrong on the unforgiving Olympic course.
"This golf course, it's so demanding," Woods said. "If you're off your game just a little bit, you're going to pay the price. Phil and Bubba were off just a little bit."
US Open Agony for Donald
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2012 (AFP) - World number one Luke Donald's dismal day on The Olympic Course was the lowlight from what was billed as a super-group on the opening day of the US Open.
Donald couldn't find a single birdie, but bogeyed half his holes in a nine-over par 79 to see any chance that he could at last claim a first major title this week dwindle to virtually nil.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, the defending champion and ranked number two in the world, fared little better with a 77, while third-ranked Lee Westwood, four-over through six holes, had to fight mightily to rally for a 73.
Nineteen-over for the threesome, who will play together again in Friday's second round.
"The top three in the world and we make three between us," Donald said of the dearth of birdies. "It shows how tough it is.
"There aren't that many opportunities out there. Some hole locations with the firmness of the greens and the direction of the wind, the best case you're going to do is 20 feet.
"So it's a challenge."
McIlroy, 23, authored a record-setting US Open victory at Congressional last year. But the firm, fast Olympic course was nothing like the course outside Washington that had been softened by pre-tournament rain, where McIlroy finished with a 16-under par total.
"It's just so tough here if you put yourself out of position at all," said McIlroy, whose lone birdie came at the par-three 13th. "It's tough to make your pars from there.
"I was just too many times in the wrong position off the tee or with my second shot. When you're trying to play catch-up on this golf course, it's very hard."
McIlroy said the pressure of defending the title had nothing to do with his performance.
"I tried to approach it like any other tournament I play," said McIlroy, whose build-up to the championship included three consecutive missed cuts, and consequently an extra event in Memphis last week in order to get in more tournament rounds.
"Today wasn't my greatest day, but hopefully I can come out tomorrow morning and try and shoot a good one and at least try to be here for the weekend."
Westwood was much better positioned, although things weren't looking good after a double bogey at the first.
He birdied the par-four seventh hole and picked up another shot at the par-five 17th to finish the day seven off the overnight lead of 66 posted by American Michael Thompson.
McDowell, Rose Lead British Challenge
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2012 (AFP) - The top three golfers in the world are all British, but it was Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland and England's Justin Rose that spearheaded the country's challenge in Thursday's US Open first round.
Both had one-under 69s to kick off their campaigns, putting them level with Tiger Woods and two others in five-way tie for second place, three strokes behind first-round leader Michael Thompson of the United States.
McDowell has a special affinity for these parts, having won the US Open two years ago at nearby Pebble Beach.
And he revels in the kind of ultimate golfing challenges habitually presented to players in the year's second major.
"I've always enjoyed the US Open, even before I won Pebble I always enjoyed the US Open set-ups," he said.
"And if you would have asked me before I won Pebble where did I fancy my chances, which majors did I like the best, I probably would have always said to you the US Open and the British Open.
"Those are the two that I would always choose."
Despite winning just two years ago, McDowell was largely overlooked in the build-up to The Olympic Club with all the attention going to his fellow Ulsterman and close friend Rory McIlroy.
But the defending champion, who succeeded McDowell, had a miserable time of it with a 77 playing in a top grouping with world No.1 Luke Donald, who had a 79, and No.3 Lee Westwood, who had a 73.
McDowell, however, said it would be wrong to write off McIlroy this early in the tournament.
"Seven over's a big hole for any player. Rory McIlroy's a pretty good player though, so if anybody can come back from it, he can," he said.
Rose, who has been in fine form this year and climbed to seventh in the world rankings, had four birdies against three bogeys as he quietly moved himself into contention.
His bogey at the short par seventh prompted him to describe the experience of playing on the demanding layout as "sadistic fun."
"Obviously it's just a good start, not getting too wrapped up with that," he said.
"I think this golf tournament more than any other you just have to stay in the momentum, you can't get ahead of yourself for one second out there.
"So as of this second now I'm not even thinking about round one anymore, it's just about my first tee shot tomorrow. It's going to be a long hard week ahead of all of us and that's really my mindset."
US Open A Thrill Ride For Martin
SAN FRANCISCO, June 14, 2012 (AFP) - Casey Martin's return to the US Open was a stomach-churning ride, but that was down to nerves rather than the disability that requires him to use a golf cart.
"I tried to realize there's really not that much pressure on me, but it didn't work," said Martin, who at 40 has largely given up his competitive career and is the golf coach at the University of Oregon.
Martin qualified for his US Open berth at The Olympic Club, where in 1998 he made history as the first golfer to use a cart in the tournament.
That appearance came after he had sued the US PGA Tour for the right to use a cart because of the circulatory condition that affects his right leg.
In 1998, Martin's use of a cart was controversial, although he said the fans were supportive then and remained so.
"I thought the galleries were great in '98. I didn't have anything negative happen to me and they were wonderful today -- really, really supportive."
Martin's struggles were the kind common to all US Open contestants -- a firm course with lethally fast greens and with dense rough waiting to gobble up errant shots.
"I was nervous and hit a poor drive on one and made a tough bogey," Martin said. "Then I hit a really, really bad shot out of the fairway on number two and was just like, 'What?'"
After those two bogeys, he bogeyed three straight from the fourth before his first birdie of the day at the seventh.
That steadied him, and he made four pars before another bogey at 12.
"I would say the birdie, just finally getting a putt to drop on seven finally settled me down," he said.
Martin was pleased to add a birdie at the par-five 17th, finishing with a four-over total of 74.
Michael Thompson was the first-round leader on four-under 66, and plenty of bigger names fared worse than Martin on the hillside course.
Martin said he hoped his nerves will have dissipated when he tackles the second round on Friday.
"I want to enjoy it," he said. "It's hard to enjoy it when you're popping with your nerves and stuff. I want to do so well so bad that I don't want to get in my way."
Martin said his experience had given some insight to pass on to his university players.
"Get really good," he said. "If you want to play out here just get really good, because it's hard."
Collated scores on Thursday in the first round of the US Open golf championship at The Olympic Club's 7,170-yard, par-70 Lake Course (a-amateur)
66 - Michael Thompson (USA)
69 - Tiger Woods (USA), David Toms (USA), Nick Watney (USA), Justin Rose (ENG), Graeme McDowell (NIR)
70 - a-Beau Hossler (USA), JB Park (KOR), Jason Bohn (USA), Robert Karlsson (SWE), Alistair Presnell (AUS), Ian Poulter (ENG), Matt Kuchar (USA), Jim Furyk (USA)
71 - Martin Flores (USA), Branden Grace (RSA), Jonathan Byrd (USA), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Michael Allen (USA), John Peterson (USA), Casey Wittenberg (USA), Ryo Ishikawa (JPN)
72 - Raphael Jacquelin (FRA), Charles Howell (USA), Webb Simpson (USA), Fredrik Jacobson (SWE), Robert Garrigus (USA), DA Points (USA), Morgan Hoffmann (USA), Aaron Watkins (USA), Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL), John Senden (AUS), Hunter Mahan (USA), Jason Dufner (USA), Rickie Fowler (USA), Angel Cabrera (ARG), Anders Hansen (DEN), Blake Adams (USA), Alberto Sanchez (USA)
73 - Steve Lebrun (USA), Joe Ogilvie (USA), Davis Love (USA), Kyle Stanley (USA), Charl Schwartzel (RSA), KJ Choi (KOR), Keegan Bradley (USA), Marc Warren (SCO), Jeff Curl (USA), Lee Westwood (ENG), Sergio Garcia (ESP), James Hahn (USA)
74 - Tommy Biershenk (USA), Matthew Baldwin (ENG), Kevin Na (USA), Stephen Ames (CAN), Tim Herron (USA), Gregory Bourdy (FRA), Padraig Harrington (IRL), Bob Estes (USA), YE Yang (KOR), KT Kim (KOR), Rod Pampling (AUS), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Nicholas Thompson (USA), Casey Martin (USA), Peter Lawrie (IRL), Charlie Wi (KOR), Simon Dyson (ENG), a-Jordan Spieth (USA), Gary Woodland (USA), Martin Kaymer (GER), Kevin Chappell (USA), Spencer Levin (USA)
75 - Scott Piercy (USA), Colt Knost (USA), Carl Pettersson (SWE), Retief Goosen (RSA), Vijay Singh (FIJ), Robert Rock (ENG), Hiroyuki Fujita (JPN), Alexander Noren (SWE), Paul Claxton (USA), Alvaro Quiros (ESP), Jason Day (AUS), Dustin Johnson (USA), Ernie Els (RSA), Aaron Baddeley (AUS), Darron Stiles (USA), Roberto Castro (USA), Mikko Ilonen (FIN), Justin Hicks (USA), Jesse Mueller (USA)
76 - Matt Bettencourt (USA), Scott Langley (USA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Brendan Jones (AUS), Patrick Cantlay (USA), Mark Wilson (USA), Adam Scott (AUS), Anthony Summers (AUS), Kevin Streelman (USA), Edward Loar (USA), Bill Haas (USA), Steve Stricker (USA), Lucas Glover (USA), Geoff Ogilvy (AUS), Matteo Manassero (ITA), Samuel Osborne (ENG)
77 - Zach Johnson (USA), Tim Clark (RSA), Bae Sang Moon (KOR), Lee Dong-Hwan (KOR), Hunter Hamrick (USA), Cameron Wilson (USA), Olin Browne (USA), Rory McIlroy (NIR), Louis Oosthuizen (RSA), Stewart Cink (USA), Tadahiro Takayama (JPN), Martin Laird (SCO), Ben Crane (USA), Brian Harman (USA), a-Brooks Koepka (USA), Brian Gaffney (USA)
78 - Shane Bertsch (USA), Thomas Bjorn (DEN), Bubba Watson (USA), George Coetzee (RSA), Toru Taniguchi (JPN), Bo Van Pelt (USA), Peter Hanson (SWE), Tim Weinhart (USA), Scott Smith (USA), Nick Sherwood (USA), Jim Herman (USA), David Mathis (USA), Joe Durant (USA), Alex Cejka (GER), Brice Garnett (USA)
79 - a-Andy Zhang (CHN), Michael Campbell (NZL), Luke Donald (ENG), Lee Slattery (ENG)
80 - Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (ESP), Cole Howard (USA), Dennis Miller (USA), Chez Reavie (USA), Trevor Immelman (RSA)
81 - William Lunde (USA), Hunter Haas (USA), Miguel Angel Jimenez (ESP)
82 - Mark McCormick (USA), Kyle Thompson (USA)
84 - Steve Marino (USA)
85 - Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Brian Rowell (USA)