U.S. Open 2012: 3 Things Tiger Woods Needs to Do to Stay in Contention

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After a solid first round of 69, Tiger Woods is only three off the pace of leader Michael Thompson.

Woods' one-under-par round was a stellar one that included three birdies and two bogeys. Now, he will look to tee it up on Friday, and hopefully contend on the weekend.

If Woods is to contend and make a run for his 15th major, then here are a few things he needs to do.

Keep the Ball in the Fairway

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Tiger Woods' driving accuracy hasn't been too shabby these past few months, but he'll need accuracy more than ever at Olympic Club.

Playing out of the rough at the U.S. Open will only lead to high scores, and at a place like Olympic Club, where there are few scoring opportunities, keeping the ball in the fairway will be essential.

If Tiger needs to revert back to his three woods or even long irons off the tee to find the fairway, then he should definitely follow that strategy.

Keep Grinding

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At any major, especially the U.S. Open it's all about grinding it out, and making a not so decent day play into your favor.

Of course, it's easier said than done, but under tough conditions Woods will have to grind and make those pars that keep him in the ball game.

Tiger shouldn't be too aggressive and try to make birdies. All he needs to do is make pars and birdies where he can, and let the leaders fall back to him.

If he can slug it out for a few more days, then Tiger has a good chance at capturing the U.S. Open.

Make Some Putts

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Tiger Woods' was one of the greatest putters in the world.

Anything inside eight feet you could practically give him because Tiger would knock it every time in Tiger fashion.

Without a doubt, Woods has struggled with his putting this year, and the putts that used to drop are not going in anymore.

If Woods is to conquer Olympic Club, then he must master his putting and make those six to eight footers for par. He doesn't need to roll in those long twisting twenty or thirty footers, all Woods needs to do is make the short par putts and keep the momentum going.