US Open 2012 Standings: Day 1 Highlights, Cut Line Projections and More
The 2012 U.S. Open has officially teed off, and right from the start we see a familiar name among the leaders.
That's right, Tiger Woods has had an impressive first round at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, backing up his second victory of the year at the Memorial.
Has Woods gotten his groove back? Where's Phil Mickelson? Has the pressure of teeing off with Woods and Mickelson gotten to 2012 Masters champion Bubba Watson?
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Here's a look at standings, highlights and projections of the 2012 U.S. Open at the Olympic Club.
Standings
| Player | Score | Thru |
| 1. Michael Thompson | -4 | F |
| T2. Tiger Woods | -1 | F |
| T2. David Toms | -1 | F |
| T2. Nick Watney | -1 | F |
| T2. Justin Rose | -1 | F |
| T2. Graeme McDowell | -1 | F |
| T7. Beau Hossler | E | F |
| T7. Jason Bohn | E | F |
| T7. Jae-Bum Park | E | F |
| T7. Robert Karlsson | E | F |
Highlights
Michael Allen, one of the oldest players in the U.S. Open field, came up with this 145-yard beauty on the 14th hole for eagle.
Allen followed up that effort with a birdie on the 15th hole but also had five bogeys on the day.
Woods also made a fantastic, curving putt for birdie on the fifth hole.
Cut Line Predictions
Of the big names, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson appear to be the most in danger of missing the cut. Mickelson finished the day with a six-over par 76. Watson had an eight-over par 78.
After the first pairings teed off on Thursday, it appears the cut line could be around four-over par. That means Mickelson and Watson will have to significantly step up their games on Day 2 of the tournament.
I see Mickelson using his experience to make the cut at the 2012 U.S. Open. I am, however, worried about Watson. There were a lot of questions surrounding how he would hold up to the scrutiny after his Masters win, especially being paired with Mickelson and Woods. He may have answered those questions on Day 1. He had seven bogeys and one double bogey on Thursday.
On the other hand, Woods has been tremendous. On a very tough course, he had three birdies on the day. He took care of business on the fourth and fifth holes, which are widely considered to be the easiest holes on the course (keyword: easiest, this is a difficult course in general). Not only should Woods make the cut, but he has a shot at winning his 15th career major given what he's shown on Thursday.
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