Woods sparkles in the fog with a stroll on the Beach

By Clifton Brown

PEBBLE BEACH (CALIFORNIA), JUNE 16. On a foggy opening day of the U.S. Open, Tiger Woods was crystal clear about his intentions.

When play begins again, nobody will have to look over his shoulder to see if Woods is gaining ground. The world's No. 1 player shot a 6-under 65, seizing the clubhouse lead and setting the pace like a runner who shoots out of the starting blocks and forces everyone else to keep up.

It was the best Open round of Woods' career and the lowest round at the Open since 1980, when Jack Nicklaus and Tom Weiskopf each shot first-round 63s at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield.

But fog ruled the day at Pebble Beach, as play was suspended at 3:56 p.m. (Pacific time) and never resumed. Seventy- five of the 156 players were unable to complete their rounds. First-round play will resume on Friday at 6:45 a.m., and the second round is expected to start at 8:30 a.m.

Woods seemed to execute almost any shot he needed during his splendid round at Pebble Beach. When Woods missed greens, he got up and down to save par. When opportunities for birdies presented themselves, he usually capitalised. And when he faced difficult putts, his stroke was smooth and confident.

Among the players who finished, Woods held a one- stroke lead over Miguel Angel Jimenez, who shot an opening round 5-under 66. John Huston shot an opening round 67 while Bobby Clampett, a 40- year-old CBS golf analyst playing his first Open since 1986, finished with a 68.

Among the leaders still on the course, Nick Faldo was 4-under par through 13 holes; Corey Pavin and Kirk Triplett were 3-under through 13 holes; and Loren Roberts was 3-under through seven holes.

Woods controlled his game and his emotions beautifully, looking determined to win his third different major at age 24. When Vijay Singh won the Masters this year, Woods had a difficult start, opening with a 75 that forced him to play catch-up the rest of the tournament.

But in this major, Woods started on top of his game, and he liked the view at the top of the leader board.

``It's a lot easier to play from a spot near the lead,'' said Woods, who had six birdies in a bogey-free round. ``I'd much rather have the lead than try to catch-up. If you're driving it well, and driving in a lot of fairways, you're going to have some situations where you can attack. Today, I was able to do that.''

Big names struggle

But more than a few prominent players struggled and dug themselves a deep hole. David Duval, ranked No. 2 in the world, opened with a 75, as did Sergio Garcia. Steve Jones and Mark O'Meara each shot a 74, Nick Price 77, Jeff Sluman 78, Craig Stadler 79 and John Daly withdrew after shooting an 83, including a 14 at the par-5 No. 18.

But Woods had no serious glitches. The highlights of his round included a 20-footer for birdie at No. 7 and a 15- footer for birdie at No. 10. But his short game was perhaps the most impressive part of his performance. He got up and down from the rough at No. 5 to save par, making an 8-foot putt after a nice pitch. At No. 9, he rammed a birdie attempt eight feet past the hole, but made the comeback putt to save par.

At No. 11, after driving into the rough, Woods blasted out short of the green, chipped to 12 feet, then made the putt to save par. At No. 15, he chipped to six feet and made the putt to save par. At No. 17, he chipped 12 feet past the hole but made another comeback putt for par. Then at No. 18, he hit a great bunker shot to two feet and converted the birdie putt to end his day on a high note.

The sight of Woods in first place will surely weigh on the minds of others in the field, like Phil Mickelson and Tom Lehman, who both shot 71s, and Jesper Parnevik, who shot 73. The chase is on. And Woods is a formidable frontrunner.

``I'm six behind the man, and he's pretty hard to beat,'' said Michael Campbell, who finished at even par. ``He has risen the bar, and he's the only one who can jump over that bar right now,'' said Tom Watson, who won the Open at Pebble Beach in 1982.

Jimenez unfazed

But with so many holes left to play, several other golfers put themselves in a good position. Start with Jimenez, a 36-year-old member of last year's European Ryder Cup team, who is playing at Pebble Beach for the first time. Jimenez birdied Nos. 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, shooting up the leader board like a Fourth of July firecracker.

One of the game's most accurate drivers and an excellent putter, Jimenez has a game that fits the mould of someone who can contend at Opens. And after losing to Woods in a play-off last year in Spain, Jimenez did not sound fearful of another weekend confrontation with Woods.

``Tiger is the best player in the world,'' Jimenez said. ``But the press thinks there's only one player here at the tournament. There are 156. He can win, sure. But on this type of golf course, you have to be very consistent, and you have to hit very straight. There are too many things you have to hold for four rounds.''

The scores on Thursday were better than expected, as the moisture in the air prevented the greens from becoming slicker, while the mild winds had little impact on play.

``I was able to take advantage of a really good tee time,'' said Huston, who teed off in the second group at 6:40 a.m. ``There was no wind and the sun was out. The greens were perfect. And every time I was in the rough today, I had a good lie.''

The most surprising round of the day belonged to Clampett, a 40- year-old CBS analyst who made the field as a qualifier and who is playing only his second tournament in the last 21 months. Clampett was raised near Pebble Beach, and he used to sneak onto the course as a youngster. On Thursday, he sneaked onto the leader board, and loved every minute of it.

``I was fighting back tears all through the front nine,'' Clampett said. ``It's hard to describe that kind of emotion. It was amazing.''

But Woods was simply himself. And after one day at the Open, he was exactly where he wanted to be.

- New York Times News Service

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