June 12 Wrap up first round

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It was a strange looking leaderboard after the first day of the 108th US Open Championship. Two little known Americans, Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman were at the top of the pile, both shooting excellent 3-under 68s. And a shot behind them were a group of four, which included Rocco Mediate, Stuart Appleby and the champion from a couple of years ago, Geoff Ogilvy.

It was a slightly disappointing day on the whole for the 29 Europeans in the field, with only Robert Karlsson and Lee Westwood excelling, both coming in with one-under-par 70s.

After a bout of tonsillitis and a missed cut in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, England’s Westwood admitted he didn’t have any expectations when he arrived at Torrey Pines. “It’s sometimes easier to play golf like that,” he said after. “I’m very pleased. It is always good to get off to a good start and I didn’t miss too many fairways.”

This is the Englishman’s 9th US Open and he will be hoping he can do better than his best finish, which came all the way back in 2000 when he was tied for 5th.
This year’s US Open has an unusual feel to it, because somewhat bizarrely, there were more roars for birdies and eagles than there were at the Masters earlier this year.

Usually, the second major of the year is about as much fun for the players as having teeth pulled without an anaesthetic. But, for the 108th version the dentist has been a touch kinder, and seems to be performing a few fillings rather than the usual root canals.

Indeed, although this course is 380 yards longer than any previous course in US Open history, the fairways aren’t quite so pencil thin, the rough not quite so treacherous, and the greens not quite so marble-hard.

“I think this is one of the best US Open courses we’ve ever played,” said Englishman Lee Westwood after his first round. “It is certainly set up the best. Usually at US Opens you feel like there is a disaster waiting around every corner, but that’s not the case here. If you don’t hit it off line too much, you are not penalised, which is good. I think on the Sunday at Shinnecock and even last year, they set the course up too tough, but this year they have got it absolutely right.”

Notable Europeans:
Robert Karlsson 70
Lee Westwood 70
Luke Donald 71
Carl Petterson 71
Oliver Wilson 72
Daniel Chopra 73
Robert Dinwiddie 73
Fredrik Jacobsen 74
Thomas Levet 74
Miguel Angel Jimenez 75
Martin Kaymer 75
Sergio Garcia 76
Jesper Parnevik 77
Niclas Fasth 78
Soren Harson 78
Ian Poulter 78
Paul Casey 79
Johan Edfors 79
Colin Montgomerie 79
Justin Rose 79
Gary Wolstenholme 83
Chris Devlin 84 

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