PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Eric Axley signed his scorecard and asked his caddie for another golf ball.
He hadn’t given one to the walking scorer who held the sign showing that Axley shot a 4-over-par 75 in the opening round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
“That was my C game,” said Axley, who grew up in Athens, Tenn., and attended East Tennessee State University. “I think I missed six putts from within eight feet, and on these greens you need to make the ones you can.”
Axley began his round on No. 10 and finished with three birdies, five bogeys and a three-putt double-bogey on No. 18. He dropped seven shots in a six-hole stretch in the middle of his round.
He closed his day with a birdie from 150 yards out, followed by a smooth eight-foot putt.
“It doesn’t look like anybody is going crazy low,” Axley said. “You don’t have to do anything crazy here, just play good solid golf.”
Woods security
Four plain-clothed Monterey County sheriff’s officers followed the featured group of Tiger Woods, Ernie Els and Lee Westwood.
“There’s about 12 of our guys, some in plain clothes, following them,” said a sergeant who futilely tried to beep his cart through the gallery. “And that doesn’t include the FBI here.”
Woods had at least two plain-clothed body guards following his every move during his four rounds at the Masters, and who knows how many working undercover.
And for Masters champion Phil Mickelson’s protection?
“Not quite as many,” the officer said.
Gift for Phil
Spencer Kelley of Charlotte sprinted out from under the ropes and toward Mickelson after he finished his round.
The 10-year-old had a homemade birthday card for Mickelson, who later made sure his caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay, put the card in his golf bag. Mickelson turned 40 on Wednesday.
“I tried to give it to him yesterday, but I couldn’t find him,” Kelley said. “I bought markers and I printed out pictures of the trophy and a breast cancer logo.”
Two holes at once
Ryan Moore made an adventurous bogey on the famous par-3 17th at Pebble Beach.
His tee shot sailed right of the bunkers, took a long hop and skidded across the 18th tee box, where it came to rest under the fence that Jack Nicklaus was photographed on during the 2000 U.S. Open.
Moore took relief — not that there was much of it as he stood on the retaining wall to swing — and dropped his next shot into a greenside bunker, resulting in a bogey.
Vanderbilt graduate Jon Curran hit a good ball onto the 16th tee. Problem was, he was playing the third hole.
His drive off No. 3 interrupted the group of Mickelson, Y.E. Yang and Padraig Harrington, who were playing shots from on or around the green.
It mattered little to Curran, who saved par.
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