US Open Golf 2012 Leaderboard: Knee-Jerk Reaction to Day 1 Performances
Tiger Woods is an allergen.
It can’t be coincidence that the two high-profile golfers paired with Woods tanked on Day 1 of the 2012 U.S. Open. Phil Mickelson finished the round at six-over par while reigning Masters Champ Bubba Watson ended eight over.
Despite being part of the tournament’s most-hyped trio, neither player is on pace to make the cut. Mickelson is tied for 101st place and Watson 116th. While those two trip over themselves, Tiger is one under par and in striking distance for first place.
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The ironic part of Watson’s debacle is that he tweeted this earlier in the day:
"Thinking about WDing from US Open cause I want to watch @TigerWoods & Phil on tv. But I forgot I got the best seat in da house!! #CrazyFan
— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) June 14, 2012"
Be careful what you wish for Bubba. Unless he pulls off a miraculous Day 2 performance, he’ll be eliminated and forced into the role of a "crazy fan."
Nothing is ironic about Mickelson’s struggles. The only thing odd is that he’s choking before he usually does. Lefty has never won the U.S. Open in his storied career, but he did manage to finish runner-up a whopping five times.
Apparently, he was so tired of losing to Woods in the final round that he just wanted to get it over with.
Speaking of Tiger, he lived up to expectations as one of just three golfers from the early crew to finish under par. And that in itself is surprising considering that Woods has won just two PGA Tournaments since 2009.
Of course, with many labeling the potential victory as the most important of Tiger’s career, it isn’t exactly a shocker that the old Woods has risen to the occasion.
Expect Tiger to continue to blow Watson and Mickelson out of the Olympic Club water.
Here is the current leaderboard, provided by ESPN:
| Player | Score | Thru |
| 1. Michael Thompson | -4 | F |
| 2. Angel Cabrera | -2 | 3 |
| T3. Peter Lawrie | -1 | 8 |
| T3. Graeme McDowell | -1 | 4 |
| T3. Ryo Ishikawa | -1 | 3 |
| T3. Tiger Woods | -1 | F |
| T5. David Toms | -1 | F |
| T8. Morgan Hoffman | E | 9 |
| T8. John Peterson | E | 9 |
| T8. John Senden | E | 5 |
David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.
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