Three tied atop U.S. Open; Tiger 9 shots back

Associated Press

TULSA, Okla. — On a day of surprises at the U.S. Open, the biggest was Tiger Woods.

Former Kane'ohe resident Dean Wilson made the cut in his first U.S. Open. Wilson shot a 74 for 145. The projected cut is 6-over 146. Associated Press

A long and grueling Friday at Southern Hills produced a trio of unlikely leaders — Mark Brooks, Retief Goosen and J.L. Lewis — and more sloppy play from the guy whom everyone figured would turn this U.S. Open into another romp.

Instead, Woods wound up with his worst opening round in the U.S. Open in three years, a 4-over 74. He spent the next 18 holes flirting with the cut line before a late run of birdies kept him around for the weekend.

Goosen heard one roar after another coming from Woods' direction and assumed he was making an early run at his fifth straight major.

"I thought it was him on a roll again," the 32-year-old South African said.

The charge — a great par save and back-to-back birdies — got him to 4-over and spared him an early departure from a major for the first time since Woods was still in college.

"Sometimes, you've just got to laugh at yourself," Woods said.

He finished nine strokes behind the leaders, his worst deficit in a major since the 2000 Masters, which happens to be the only major he didn't win out of the last six played.

Brooks, who won the 1996 PGA Championship and was the only co-leader with any kind of pedigree, birdied five of his first six holes — the kind of start expected from Woods — for a 6-under 64 and an unlikely spot going into the weekend.

Goosen finally finished the storm-delayed first round yesterday morning with a 66 for the lead, then the South African held onto it with an even-par 70. Lewis, a 40-year-old former club pro, had back-to-back 68s in a major championship he described as "just a golf tournament."

They were at 4-under 136, two strokes ahead of Sergio Garcia, who had a bogey-free round of 68 to get into contention at a major for the first time since he leapt onto the scene at the PGA Championship two years ago.

Also at 138 was Stewart Cink, who was allowed to finish the 18th hole when play was suspended by darkness. He blasted out of a bunker to within two feet of the hole and his par putt swirled in for his second straight 69.

Another stroke back was David Duval and Phil Mickelson — the also-rans at the Masters when Woods completed his sweep of the majors. Both had a 69, although Mickelson once again made it thrilling.

He chipped in for birdie on No. 1 and had a hole-in-one on the 175-yard, par-3 sixth hole, the ball hopping once into the cup. He also had three bogeys with the kind of mistakes he is trying to fix to shed the "best-to-have-never-won-a-major" label.

Davis Love III was only two off the lead until he went bogey-double bogey. He still finished at 69 and was very much in contention at 141.

"This kind of tournament, you can't think it's all done," Garcia said. "You have to keep playing well and keep being patient."

That's good advice for Woods, who has never won a major from this far back after two rounds, but promised his game was not as far off as it looked.

The 33 players who didn't finish when darkness fell on Southern Hills will return this morning. That leads to a final two rounds that figure to contain more suspense than when Woods won by 15 strokes last year.

"Leads aren't going to matter until late on Sunday," Lewis said.

Woods played nine holes yesterday morning to complete a 74, ending his streak of 38 rounds at par or better. He then started another streak with back-to-back rounds over par, the first time that's happened since the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie.

"I'm trying as hard as I can," Woods said. "Sometimes, things don't go your way, and that's the way things go."

They don't go that way very often, not for a guy who has won the last four majors, five of his last six tournaments and has not finished worse than 13th in his last 21 events.

But not even the co-leaders were ready to count him out.

"If I can shoot 64, he can shoot 60," Brooks said.

Hale Irwin, the 56-year-old three-time champion who opened with a 67, went out in 41, but birdied the difficult 18th hole for the second straight day and finished with a 75 for 142.