They'd all watched on TV as Tiger Woods claimed his epic win in the U.S. Open last year in San Diego. Yesterday, 20 elite LPGA golfers got their turn to try to tame Torrey Pines.

Not only did they recognize the place, but they had an easier go of it in the opening round of the Samsung World Championship. There were favorable pin placements, the wind stayed down on the blufftop municipal course overlooking the Pacific Ocean and, of course, there was less yardage to play on the normally tough South Course.

Song-Hee Kim and Jiyai Shin of South Korea each shot a 6-under 66 to share the lead.

Kim was the runner-up in this tournament last year, losing by one stroke to Paula Creamer at Half Moon Bay in Northern California. Kim started strong, with five birdies in her first eight holes on the South Course. Shin, coming off her tour-leading third victory of the year at the NW Arkansas Championship, had four birdies on the back nine.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa of Mexico and Sophie Gustafson of Sweden were one stroke behind the leaders on a perfect, calm day.

Shin even had a Tiger moment on the par-5, 480-yard 18th. She said she couldn't reach the green in two shots during two practice rounds, but the pin was moved forward 18 yards on Thursday and she reached in two, then two-putted for birdie.

"So last year Tiger won, I watched on the TV, and then he made a great birdie," she said, recalling the hole where Woods made a 12-foot birdie on the final hole to force an 18-hole playoff with Rocco Mediate, then made a 4-foot birdie in the playoff the next day to force sudden death.

Kim said she had an "easy birdie. So I was really surprised. It's an easy 18 holes."

Creamer was seventh with a 3-under 69. She's still looking for her first win of the season after battling a mystery illness. She said she got sick after going to Mexico in November for the Lorena Ochoa Invitational, and that doctors weren't able to figure out what was wrong.

AUTO RACING

NASCAR CHASE STARTS IN LOUDON

Three-time defending NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson's whirlwind day came to a close when four Knicks City Dancers presented him with a cake to celebrate his 34th birthday.

In between, there was a pie-throwing contest at "Live! with Regis and Kelly," fashion advice from Brian Vickers to Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman's attempt to toss popcorn across a room and into someone's open mouth.

It was the last pressure-free day for NASCAR's 12 championship drivers, who pumped up the Chase for the championship across New York City yesterday before heading to Loudon, New Hampshire, for the Sylvania 300 for what's expected to be the most competitive title-race to date.

"It's definitely the tightest field I've ever been a part of," said Greg Biffle, seeded 12th in his third Chase appearance. "The competition is pretty close, and I think anyone could win it this year."

The field includes four champions, two first-timers and 50-year-old Mark Martin, who earned the top seed with a Sprint Cup Series-high four "regular season" victories. Widely considered the best driver to never win a championship, Martin isn't setting any expectations in his first Chase since 2006.

"I learned a long time ago it's easier to not be disappointed when you don't have high expectations," Martin said.

SOCCER

COSTA RICA'S NEW COACH NEEDS PLAYERS

Rene Simoes is the new soccer coach of Costa Rica, and has problems after one day on the job.

He was hired Wednesday, a day after Rodrigo Kenton was fired after three straight losses during World Cup qualifying.

The Brazilian coach had hoped to assemble his team two weeks before its final group qualifying games — Oct. 10 at home against Trinidad and Tobago and Oct. 14 in Washington against the United States.

Yesterday, the directors of two clubs — Saprissa and Cartagines — said they would not give up their players for two weeks to the national team.

"This was negotiated beforehand with first-division teams," Costa Rica federation president Eduardo Li said.

TENNIS

FEDERER FINED $1,500 FOR PROFANITY

Roger Federer has been fined $1,500 for using a profanity while arguing with the chair umpire during the U.S. Open final.

CBS microphones picked up the exchange during its live broadcast of the match.

Tournament spokesman Chris Widmaier says Federer is being docked the same amount as two other players — Vera Zvonareva and Daniel Koellerer — for audible obscenity.

Widmaier says a total of $31,500 in fines is being collected by the tournament, topped by Serena Williams' $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct. She also was fined $500 for racket abuse.

Daniel Nestor was docked $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct toward a fan.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

UCLA men's basketball coach Ben Howland was resting comfortably yesterday, a day after he had what the school referred to as a "standard appendectomy" performed at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. ... Benn Barham of England fired an 8-under 63 yesterday for a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the Austrian Open at Oberwaltersdorf, Austria.