Thursday a. m. - Tiger tees off on the 10th hole of the U. S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 and, naturally, gets the biggest ovation as he is introduced. Then he goes out and birdies the hole, and, like the days of old, his name is on top of the leaderboard.

    Tiger pars the next five holes, making some 10-footers along the way, and at one point, reaches No. 1 again. But bogeys on 16 and 17 drop him to one over, one on a three-putt green, as he falls prey to several missed putts by an inch. He pars 18 and turns in 1-over-36, tied for 32nd, three strokes behind leader and former Seminole Brooks Koepka. He hit 6 of 9 greens. No sign of a limp. But on the front nine, Tiger's putting failed him and he wound up with a 4-over 74, tied for 86th, but not out of it as far as the cut goes. He missed four putts inside 10 feet and had 32 for the round. 

    Once again, the best of the PGA Tour, including No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 2 Xander Schauffele and No. 3 Rory McIlroy, are pitted against the top LIV golfers, including Dustin Johnson, Koepka, Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson. Dustin won it in 2016, Bryson in 2021, Koepka in 2017 and 2018.

    Two other Seminoles are in, veteran Daniel Berger and 3-time All-American Frederik Kjettrup, from Denmark, a Korn Ferry member. Gators playing the par-70, 7,548-yard course are Billy Horschel and amateur Parker Bell, who just graduated.   

    The TV analysts are almost all of the opinion that even par could win it come Sunday evening. 

    More to come.

    At the close of day. Patrick Cantlay and Rory are tied at 5-under 65, one ahead of Ludvig Aberg. Billy Horschel shot 73, same as Daniel Berger. Koepka is at even par and FSU rookie Frederik Kjettrup debuted with 72. Gator rookie Parker Bell skied to 77. Red-hot Scottie Scheffler was off all day, and posted a 71.  

 

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