Dream pairing plays out as bland round

By TIM DAHLBERG

The Associated Press

SAN DIEGO -- The hang gliders that usually swoop above Torrey Pines were grounded for the U.S. Open, apparently out of fear that one of them would try to take out Tiger Woods or crash-land on the third green just as Phil Mickelson was trying to make a three-footer.

So anyone looking for excitement Thursday on the gorgeous stretch of coastline just north of San Diego had just two options -- head down to the notorious Black's Beach or join 40,000 or so others at the muni that sits perched on the towering cliffs just above to watch the annual torture show that is our national championship.

The attire on the beach figured to be casual as usual, so casual that swim suits were optional. Had Woods or Mickelson ventured over to the edge of the 12th fairway, they might have taken notice of that, but on this day they were more concerned with what they and 154 other men in long pants were going to do with a course that wasn't nearly as familiar and comfortable as it looked at first glance.

The only two golfers who really matter were together in a dream pairing that the stuffed suits who run the USGA dreamed up either as a reward for golf fans everywhere or a payout to ESPN, which gleefully cooperated by showing almost nothing but the two for more than five hours.

It was supposed to be magical, a must-see battle between No. 1 and No. 2 for the thousands of fans who crowded 30 deep around greens and the millions of others who watched on television in offices across the country.

It turned out quite ordinary, with the biggest entertainment provided by the fan who fell out of a tree into the mud on the first hole.

That was mostly the fault of Woods and Mickelson, who both struggled en route to scores that did nothing to help them win the Open, but nothing to help them lose it on the first day, either. Mickelson came back to shoot an even-par 71, while Woods uncharacteristically three-putted the final green to finish a stroke behind in his first competitive round since the Masters.

Blame some laid-back Southern Californians, too. The last time an Open was held at a muni, New Yorkers screamed for their favorites (mostly Woods and Mickelson), made fun of waggle boy (Sergio Garcia) and drank their way into the twilight hours at Bethpage.

By contrast, even those with a triple latte buzz on the usual perfect San Diego morning could do little but murmur an occasional "Go, Phil!" or "Tigerrr!" at this Open.

That actually seemed to please Mickelson, who was keeping as close an eye on the behavior of his fellow San Diegans as he was on the speed of the greens.

"The reason I'm so proud is this is my hometown and everybody out here was so respectful," Mickelson said. "There wasn't any derogatory remarks. Everybody was uplifting. Whether they pulled for any of the three of us, everybody was very cool today. I'm very proud to be from here."

Mickelson stopped short of announcing his candidacy for mayor, though he surely has plenty of ideas on making the city better. This is a guy who spends a lot of time between shots thinking about ways to solve everything from the fuel crisis to health care problems and is not afraid to tell you just how it can be done.

He's got a lot of ideas when it comes to his day job, too, though none has helped him win in any of his 17 previous U.S. Opens. Last year, he carried two drivers in his bag at the Masters, and this year he won the Colonial with five, count 'em, five, wedges.

His latest plan to dominate world golf involves playing his way around a 7,643-yard course with no driver in his bag, but the early results are mixed. Even with a 3-wood, Mickelson managed to find the bunkers and deep rough that are usually his undoing, though he finished with three back-nine birdies to shoot a respectable score of par.

Woods doesn't tinker nearly as much with his equipment, mainly because he could play with wooden shafts and balata balls and still win more than his share of majors. He also wins almost every time he tees it up at Torrey Pines, and the only reason to think he won't this week is that both his game and his surgically repaired left knee still appear rusty.

Woods showed that rust quickly with a double bogey on the first hole before settling down. Still, the game was never really on between the top two players in the world, who were joined by an equally uninspired No. 3 in Adam Scott on a day when good scores seemed possible at Torrey Pines.

Mickelson's best shot may have been a hybrid out of the rough on No. 12 after barely advancing his second shot 10 yards, while the only fist pump from Woods came not after a birdie but a par on the 15th.

It wasn't exciting, but it was good enough, and this is the U.S. Open, where things rarely are better than that. Both players are in positions where they can easily make a run Friday when they are paired together again for an afternoon round.

And there's still one more day for the real excitement to begin.

Tim Dahlberg is a sports columnist for the Associated Press.