Tiger, 17-year-old eye top spot
AN FRANCISCO -- As quick as Tiger Woods grabbed the U.S. Open lead, he lost it.
To a 17-year-old qualifier, no less.
Going from a first pump to dropping his clubs all over the course, Woods birdied the par-3 third to take a one-shot lead Friday before rolling off three straight bogeys to fall three shots behind 17-year-old Beau Hossler. Woods was 2-over par through eight holes in the second round and 1 over for the tournament.
Hossler made up two strokes in three holes, including a birdie on the par-4 first -- which played tougher than any hole on the course in the opening round. He was 2 under through 11 holes and the championship.
The kid from Rancho Santa Margarita down the California coast survived local and sectional qualifying at nearby Daly City, the second straight year he sneaked into this major. Now he's giving a 14-time major champion all he can handle.
That's the kind of week it has been so far at The Olympic Club.
Jim Furyk shot a 1-under 69 to move to 1 under for the 36-hole clubhouse lead. Michael Thompson, the leader after 18 holes, was 5 over for the day and three strokes back of Hossler.
Top-ranked Luke Donald and defending champion Rory McIlroy were likely going to miss the cut in what would be swift and stunning exits.
Olympic Club has restored "golf's toughest test" and then some.
The tight, twisting fairways on the unleveled Lake Course had most of the field hacking out of rough and digging into sand for shots. Others searched for balls in the colossal cypress trees or pushed putts all over the rock-hard greens.
Even Woods.
After a near flawless opening-round 69, Woods finally felt Olympic's wrath. While he holed a putt from about 6 feet on three to take the lead, giving a light fist pump and bringing a quiet crowd with all these bogeys from the field roaring to its feet, the good emotions didn't last.
Woods put his approach in the bunker on the fifth and pushed his putt from about three feet to settle for bogey. On the sixth, he dropped his iron after watching his approach land in the thick rough on the down-hill slop around a bunker.
Woods hacked out of the grass with a choked-up grip, putted with a 3 woods from the fringe and dropped another shot. He also landed in the far bunker on the short par-4 seventh and three-putted a third straight bogey.
Calm and cool conditions under a light layer of fog provided a majestic backdrop of San Francisco's steep hills when the first groups teed off shortly after 7 a.m. A blue sky and warmer -- but still crisp -- temperatures followed, speeding those already fast and fickle fairways.
It could be the last time most players enjoy the serene setting.
The U.S. Golf Association decided this year to eliminate the 10-shot rule in which players within 10 strokes of the lead make the cut. Starting at this year's championship, the cut will be the top 60 and ties.
The cut line started was at 5 over or better when the first morning groups finished. In all likelihood, it will be at least 7 over.
USGA executive director Mike Davis said the idea behind the new rule was to limit the number of players making the cut -- 108 did so Oakland Hills in 1996 -- and prevent slow play that could perhaps force a two-tee start in threesomes.
Not that Woods will need to worry about that.
Woods was in control in the first round, finding fairways, sticking greens and avoiding the thick rough and towering trees that line the course built on the side of a hill that separates the Pacific Ocean from Lake Merced. He had consecutive birdies late in his round, including a 35-foot putt that banged into the back of the cup on No. 5.
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