SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- The other player in the field making a comeback to active duty this week, defending U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk, pronounced himself A-OK after his first round.
"Health-wise, there's no problem," Furyk said after shooting a 2-over par 72. "It actually felt better today than it has all week. I definitely have some rust out there. For the most part, there was just a little rust in thinking and getting around the golf course. Overall, I'm real happy."
Furyk had surgery on his left wrist March 22 and was looking at a lengthy rehab, but the wrist responded better than expected and Furyk was a surprise starter.
"I mean I am assuming that's (feeling no pain) probably a little adrenaline because I'm excited about playing," Furyk said. "Now, I just have to focus on my game a little bit."
Taking a look
Among the large crowd following Tiger Woods on Thursday morning was Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, who was attending his first Open.
"I'm just going to walk around and take it in," Harris said. "It's just nice to see the game played at this level. It makes you appreciate the people who have made this level."
Harris said he's starting to take up golf and that, too, fueled his desire to come to the Open.
"Maybe this will give me a little more enthusiasm for it," he said. Everyone plays golf, and it's a real challenge. I don't get frustrated with it. I just want to get decent so when I go out with my buddies, I won't be embarrassed. What I'm going to do is work on the short game because that's where you score."
Hard on himself
Mark Calcavecchia was not happy after his 1-over par round of 71.
"I played awful," he grumbled. "If there weren't 20 marshals on every hole and a could thousand spectators, I would have lost five balls today, shot about an 84. So, 71 turned out pretty good. I hit the first six fairways and missed the last eight. I was in the weeds every hole. Turned an 80, literally, into a 71, so I have to go find a swing someplace. Otherwise, I got away with it for one day, but I'm certainly not going to get away with it more than today."
A bright spot
Raymond Floyd, who won the Open when it was contested at Shinnecock Hills in 1986, made birdie in an unconventional manner on the ninth hole. His tee shot found the high fescue grass left of the fairway, and all he could do was gouge the ball back into the fairway. From there, his approach shot hit the green and rolled into the cup, which was in the back left of the sloping green.
"I had fun for a couple holes," said Floyd, who finished with a 75. "I didn't play as well as I would have liked, but I really had a good time. I enjoyed my walk."
The unknowns
There are always unknown names on the leaderboard at the U.S. Open, especially in the first round. And this year is no exception.
Thirty-year-old David Roesch is a shot out of the lead after shooting a 68. He played college golf at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is playing on the Hooters Tour.
Roesch failed to qualify Monday for a Hooters event in Chicago. That led Roesch to a 36-hole qualifier in St. Louis, where he earned a spot in the Open.
It's been a long journey for him, one that has almost taken him in a different direction from trying to play on Tour.
"I worked for TaylorMade this winter down in Port St. Lucie, where they have the winter tournament series for the club pros," Roesch said. "I was actually running launch monitors and building drivers for the club pros. I have some friends at TaylorMade, and I was actually thinking about going to work for the company or getting a job as an assistant.'
Speaking of launches
On the subject of launches, TaylorMade this week publicly launched its new driver, the r7 quad. It gives golfers the opportunity to adjust the ball flight and direction by repositioning four weights on the sole of the club. The club has already been well-received on the PGA and Champions Tour, with over 40 players using it last week at the Buick Classic.
The amateurs
Australia's Nick Flanagan, who won the 2003 U.S. Open, continued to get playing lessons on what life is like on the PGA Tour and the majors.
He's played seven PGA Tour rounds and has yet to break par or make a cut. He's averaging 75.9 strokes per round, including the 80 he posted yesterday.
His opponent in the Amateur finals at Oakmont, Casey Wittenberg, is playing in his second professional event since finishing second. He made the cut in the Masters and finished 13th. But for a three-putt bogey on the 18th yesterday, Wittenberg would have had an even-par round of 70.
"It's an extremely, extremely difficult course," he said. "I'm a little unhappy at the ending because I played better than that. But it's the U.S. Open and things like that just happen."
Wittenberg plans to turn professional next week.
An extension
ESPN and the USGA announced Thursday afternoon that they've finalized a four-year extension through 2008 for the network to remain as the exclusive cable partner of the U.S. Open, Women's Open and Senior Open.
