Tiger Woods, bidding for a third major title in four starts, was two strokes off the early lead after covering his first nine holes in level par at the US Open on Thursday. The world number one offset two bogeys with two birdies to reach the turn in 35, two behind fellow American David Toms and big-hitting Angel Cabrera of Argentina in the opening round.
Toms, whose only major victory came at the 2001 PGA Championship, had completed eight holes at Oakmont Country Club after teeing off at the par-four 10th and Cabrera seven. Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal, who almost aced the par-three sixth, was a further shot back at one under after nine holes. Level with the Spaniard were American Jerry Kelly, after eight, twice winner Retief Goosen, after seven, American Pat Perez, after six, and Swede Peter Hanson, after six.
Woods, US Open champion at Pebble Beach in 2000 and at Bethpage Black in 2002, made a stumbling start to the year's second major championship under clear skies. The 31-year-old bogeyed the par-four first after pulling his tee shot into a fairway bunker but immediately recovered by holing a 20-foot birdie putt at the uphill second.
He parred the next three holes before a superb tee shot to 12 feet at the par-three sixth set up another birdie. However Woods dropped another shot at the 288-yard eighth, the longest par-three in major history.
His tee shot drifted with the wind into the cavernous greenside bunker on the left, known as Sahara, from where he failed to get up and down to save par. A regulation par at the uphill ninth left him two behind the early pacesetters on one of golf's toughest layouts.
Three-times major winner Phil Mickelson, who has been battling a wrist injury for the last two weeks, was among the late starters. The American left-hander was scheduled to tee off on the 10th hole at 1336 local (1736 GMT) with compatriot Jim Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion at Olympia Fields, and world number four Adam Scott of Australia.
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