Lack of birdies by Woods, Mickelson is historic

Tiger Woods watches a putt during the first round of the U.S. Open.

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Even if they didn’t know which end of the rifle to hold, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson probably would bag more birds hunting quail or pheasant than they did Thursday at Pebble Beach.

Neither Woods (74) nor Mickelson (75) made a birdie in the first round of the U.S. Open. That’s significant, because they went off as co-favorites. That’s also historic, because never before had they combined to go birdieless on the same day in a major championship.

In fact, Woods has failed to make birdie or better in only two other major rounds: the first round of the 2003 Masters (76) and the third round of the 1999 British Open (74).

Mickelson blamed misreads and poor putts on his misses in the morning. Woods mentioned the bumpy Poa annua greens of the afternoon.

“It was so bouncy out there,” Woods said. “They’re going to be bouncing all over the place, and you can’t leave yourself a second putt.”

Woods said his birdie putt on No. 17 “bounced about 3 feet in the air.”