Poor putting undermines Tiger’s opening round at PGA Championship

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Fellow Americans Matt Kuchar, Russell Henley, Harris English and J.B. Holmes, and Australian Jason Day, opened with 68s as the wind began to pick up on the visually spectacular but challenging links-style layout.

Dustin Johnson made a strong start on his return to Whistling Straits as he took advantage of an early tee time to lead at the US PGA Championship. He had played far better than he scored.

Swede David Lingmerth briefly matched Johnson’s score but ended the day on five under as the wind strengthened. And, because it wouldn’t be a major championship story without this, Tiger Woods shot a first-round 75 and is in a large group of players tied for 86th place at 3-over.

Johnson, 31, is taking a route closer to the one a 32-year-old Phil Mickelson took after the Masters in 2002, when Lefty announced that he’d seen the movie “The Rookie”, that he’d connected with Dennis Quaid’s portrayal of Jim Morris, the high school-coach-turned-big leaguer, and that he’d decided his new perspective left him happy to be playing a game he loved.

The 14-time major victor uttered his first four letter expletive after a wayward tee-shot on the 16th hole at the at Whistling Straits course near Kohler, Wisconsin.

Not so surprising about the opening round of the PGA Championship on Thursday was Dustin Johnson.

And that’s why he wanted to get off to an easy start.

“It did cross my mind when I had a good look there at 17 to go to six-under after eight holes”, he said.

“I wish I could have been one or two shots better, but hopefully I will go out there on the back nine on Friday, where there are some chances, and get off to a good start”. “We’ve still got a lot of golf to play”. “You don’t worry about golf as much“, Johnson said.

“It was a solid round of golf”, said McIlroy.

“Even if I dumped the ball center of the green or I had some makeable putts straight up the gut, they were still off. They either were getting chewed up by the green or I was blowing them through”. “I’m pleased with under par”.

While Johnson was relishing his opening round, it was a familiar story from the former world No 1, Tiger Woods, who blamed his putting after struggling to an opening round of 75.

“Probably one of the worst putting rounds I’ve had in a very long time”.

“I just had no feel at all for the speed”, added Woods, who needed 33 putts. It was bad.

“I was a little bit anxious coming back and seeing how my game’s going to react whenever I’m put under a little bit of pressure and have a card in my hand and have to really score”.

McIlroy, competing for the first time in 53 days because of an ankle injury, handled all of the par 5s even though one was just a par.

He birdied the first two holes.

McIlroy is No. 1 in the world ranking. “I know in two years, I think Erin Hills, you guys have the U.S. Open so we’ll be back”, said Bond.