NORTON -- The bad news is, Phil Mickelson most likely won't be on hand for the fourth and final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship come Labor Day Monday. The good news is, he's leaving town with even more of an attachment for the Boston Red Sox.

In shooting 1-over 72, Mickelson concluded three lackluster rounds at 2-under 213, but with plenty of golf still to be played, that doesn't appear good enough. He had made the 36-hole cut on the number (3-under), but with more than 78 players still in contention, officials offer up another cut after Round 3, again at low 70 and ties. Midway through the round, the lefthander is tied for 73d, so chances are he's got designs on going home -- if he hasn't already done so.

But enough of the golf, which hasn't been very good for the lefthander of late. (He truly hasn't contended to win since May.) He seemed more excited about yet another splendid night at Fenway Park. A year ago, Mickelson and his family took in the historic no-hitter thrown by Clay Buccholtz. A year later, the family were treated to Michael Bowden's debut, which while not a no-hitter, was every bit as exciting.

"My kids are becoming big Red Sox fans," said Mickelson, who has two daughters, Amanda and Sophia, and a son, Evan.

His wife, Amy, said that Sophia spent most of the night drawing up signs that read, "Go Red Sox."

NORTON -- Given the way the Patriots faithful are in shock over an 0-4 preseason, one had to wonder if Ben Curtis took some heat for his attire in the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Being quite a diplomat, Curtis could only smile.

"It was actually pretty quiet out there today," said Curtis.

Of course, Curtis and a long list of his colleagues were not quiet in their offensive upon TPC Boston. Defenseless with not a touch of wind and soft greens, TPC Boston yielded a bevy of birdies and when the morning wave had finished, Curtis was one of 23 players to be at 3-under or better. If Curtis sounded as surprised as anyone in his round of 5-under 66, it's for good reason.

"I think my goal this was week was just to make the cut," he said, and quickly it was determined that Curtis had missed the cut in each of three starts, in 2003, 2004, and 2007. "I figured if I make the cut, it'll be a win for me here."

There's a long way to go, of course, but he did more than put himself in position to make the cut; with the afternoon wave still on the course, Curtis is tied for second, just a shot behind the clubhouse leader, Vijay Singh.

Since his deal with Reebok calls for him to wear a shirt and hat representative of the NFL team in whatever city the Tour is in, Curtis was wearing a dark blue shirt with Patriots logo and a matching hat. And for Rounds 2, 3 and 4?

"I've got three more all ready to go," he said.

Which is two more than he's ever needed here at TPC Boston.

NORTON -- By going out in 1-under 35, Brett Quigley has stormed into a tie for 19th in the early stages of the opening round of the annual Deutsche Bank Championship here at TPC Boston.

More importantly, the Rhode Islander has been projected to move into 70th place in the FedEx Cup standings, which would earn him the final spot in next week's playoff tournament, the BMW Championship.

There was a notion to interrupt Quigley on his way to the 10th tee and ask him if he wanted us to secure him a flight to St. Louis for the festivities at Bellerive CC next week, but we thought better. After all, he's got at least 27 holes to played, hopefully 63, and things could change.

That's an attempt at levity, because in the early hours of any PGA Tour event, what dominates the picture is a serenity and a peacefulness to be cherished. The biggest diehard of fans were out when the opening tee shot was delivered by Pat Perez at 7:25 and even now as a steady stream of folks are showing up, what shines through is the priceless calm and decorum of golf.

There is, of course, a full supply of wattage that will build up, for there is much to play for this weekend. The $7 million purse is a delectable attraction, but regarding the lighthearted mention of Quigley, the FedEx Cup standings are a big deal. For his part, Quigley is 90th and desperately needs to play well to land somewhere in the top 70, but he's not the only one whose prospects for St. Louis, and even the Sept. 25-28 Tour Championship, hinge upon what happens here at TPC Boston.

That is the positive aspect of the FedEx Cup. It keeps the interest percolating -- even in the early hours of Round 1.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- At various points earlier in the week, Padraig Harrington would have been doing an Irish jig over the signing of a scorecard with the number 66 next to it. After all, the field was averaging something just north of 74. So why the long face and the insistence he was "disappointed" after posting that 4-under score in the third round of the 90th PGA Championship?

Well, Harrington knows that this is not the Oakland Hills that he played the first two days, that's why.

Instead of a firm and fast fairways with rock-hard greens, players have been presented soft and slow fairways with greens that suddenly will hold. That's what nearly an inch of rain will do for you.

"My attitude was to make birdies," said Harrington, who returned to the course this morning at 4-over and immediately did just that, at the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th holes. The Irishman was on a tear, yes, his eyes were smilin', but not for long. Having hit tee ball to 6 feet at the par-3 17th he was let down when he missed. Then, he became deflated at the 18th when he missed the green right and didn't get it up-and-down from a bunker.

"I needed to make birdies full stop," said Harrington, who arrived at the course five behind the leader, J.B. Holmes. "So right at this moment, it's disappointing."

It was 9:30 in the morning and the Irishman was headed back to his quarters for a quiet slumber.

"Go back to bed for an hour and try and go through my normal routine," said Harrington, who will return to the course early this afternoon to begin Round 4. As he spoke, he was four strokes behind the leader, Ben Curtis, who was still on the course, so Harrington wasn't about to sit around and wait.

"Who knows what's going to happen?" he said.

No one on site, that's for sure. Which is the fun of it, isn't it?

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- There was no reason to hang his head, no reason to not wear a smile, and no reason to offer excuses. To Eric Dugas, it was simple. "I prepared for it, but then I didn't execute the shots," said the assistant pro at Old Sandwich Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass.

He was in good spirits Friday after shooting 74, a 13-stroke improvement over Thursday's opening heartache in the 90th PGA Championship that still had him shaking his head. "I wasn't doing anything wrong; I just hit it in the wrong spots."

In that, Dugas had great company, especially from his club pro brethren, because it was not a good two days for those chaps. Twenty of them had earned spots into the PGA Championship via their Club Pro Championship; all 20 of them missed the cut, including two from New England, Dugas (161) and Jeff Martin (157), the assistant pro at Point Judith CC in Narragansett, R.I

Through the years, the separation has become greater between tour pros and club pros, in talent and tax bracket. That has often led to a testy sticking point when this major rolls around, because tour pros who didn't play their way into the PGA Championship would take offense at as many as 40 spots reserved for club pros. That total has been whittled to 20, but Martin probably was on target the other day when he suggested it won't be long before it is trimmed again, to perhaps only the top 10 at the CPC.

"And that's fine," said Martin, whose performance here (78-79) was similar to those of his 18 colleagues -- that is, well off the score needed to make the cut. Only one, Frank Esposito Jr., challenged to make the cut, but he double-bogeyed the 18th hole Friday to miss by one.

If a smaller number of club pros earn PGA Championship berths, it won't be a popular decision, because what is often lost in the conversation is this reality: The PGA of America owns this major championship and the PGA of America is the club pro's organization. As a whole, they clearly don't compete at a level comparable to the tour pros and no one would argue that they do. But as they jammed their clubs into their travel bags Friday night and headed back to Point Judith and Old Sandwich, I suggest that Martin and Dugas also packed a responsibility that their tour pro compatriots never worry about -- a commitment to grow the game.

No, you don't find their names on major championship hardware, anywhere in the world rankings, or on money lists where seven-figure sums are the norm, but the 20 gentlemen who came to Oakland Hills and competed in front of their family and friends and took their lumps without an ounce of complaint mean more to the game than the 73 tour pros who will divide up $7.5 million in prize money.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Though it's not as severe as the torrential rain that nearly turned Oakland Hills Country Club into another great lake at the 1996 US Open, a fast-moving storm has put a halt to the festivities in Round 1 of the 90th PGA Championship.

But while we're only halfway done with the opening act, there are definitive statements that can be made.

For one, there will be sub-par scores despite all the warnings about a brutally demanding golf course. We know that because Robert Karlsson and Jeev Milkha Singh went out in the morning and posted 2-under 68s and Sergio Garcia is among four who shot 69.

For another, it's officially a major championship, because the complaints have arrived. Oh, there wasn't an avalanche of them, but certainly the lads are less than thrilled with a golf course stretched out more than 7,300 yards, framed by thick rough, anchored by fast and sloping greens, and punctuated by narrow fairways.

"I was happy to break 80," said Lee Westwood, the Englishman with a biting sense of humor.

As he stood on the 17th tee, Westwood turned to his caddie and asked him if he could hear the ocean. When his caddie tossed him a quizzical look, Westwood explained: "I am sure I can hear my holiday calling."

It's been a part of golf since before the days of the gutta-percha, this habit of players moaning about a course set-up, and there's never any mystery to it. Those who play well, complain not at all; those who sign for high numbers have issues. Round 1 of the 90th PGA Championship was no different, but at least some did it with good humor.

Westwood, for instance, talked about the thick rough here that is treated with the greatest of care. So much so that dozens of maintenance workers are sent out with rakes to "fluff" up the thick grass so that it stands up and devours golf balls.

"I don't know how they do it," said Westwood. "They must have a lot of staff with big brushes."

But not an ounce of sympathy, it appears.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- With a 4-over 74, Paul Goydos is nowhere near the top of the leaderboard midway through the first round of the 90th PGA Championship here at Oakland Hills CC. In fact, there'll be no way of telling until later today whether or not he'll even make the cut.

He does know, however, that he has passed the muster -- to speak.

"Actually, what they said was it was 'acceptable,' " said the 44-year-old PGA Tour veteran, who set some sort of golf history at the conclusion of yesterday's opening round by becoming the first player in major golf championship to be drug-tested. "Let's see Tiger Woods do that."

Not possible, of course, because Woods is sidelined -- and besides, only one player can be "first" and that distinction belongs to Goydos. Of course, he didn't know it was coming, as that's part of an agreement drawn up by officials and agreed to by players as golf joined the rest of the sports world. The testing began a few weeks ago, but this is the first time it's been brought to a major championship. Goydos had series mixed emotions, because while on the one hand he saw it as a chance "to show that we're not [on drugs]," there's a flip side to it all.

"It's disappointing, but it's the society where we live."

The good news is, Goydos was told that all appeared well with his test and he gave officials credit because "it was very inevasive."

Asked if he had any concerns, Goydos said no. Then he remembered last night's dinner, so he asked an official: "Is garlic a banned substance?"

SOUTHPORT, England -- Loved her as a tennis player. How could you not? But as a love-struck, over-the-top, middle-age, attention-seeking wife on her honeymoon, Chris Evert is hard to take.

Her new husband, Greg Norman, is scripting one of the great golf stories ever, but goodness, gracious is their relationship getting obnoxious. Officially, I'm sick of her and sick of watching the press chase after her as if she's the one who just hit a brilliant knock-down 5-iron from 140 yards?

Norman has credited Evert 1,474 times since Friday for making his life so complete.

Evert has credited Norman 4,875 times since Friday for letting her make his life complete.

Yick.

Not to get into how the two of them got together and how ugly two divorces may have been, but the whole thing has just become way, way too much. Watching Evert field questions during Norman's round, after Norman's round, during Norman's press conference, after Norman's press conference . . . well, it's enough to make you start rooting for Simon Wakefield, whoever he is.

SOUTHPORT, England -- To put it in perspective, picture a fly ball headed toward the monster seats at Fenway Park . . . only to wind up wrapped around the Pesky Pole. Hopefully that gives you a sense of the helplessness that Lucas Glover must have felt a short while ago as he stood and watched his opening tee shot in Round 3 of the British Open.

Had the marshals down the right side of the fairway worn baseball gloves, they perhaps could have saved Glover's ball from going over the fence, but then again, that is not allowed in golf. Thus did Glover watch the out-of-bounds signal with a grim expression. He surely knew it was going to be a rough day; he couldn't have hoped to find out so quickly.

Off in the sixth "game" of the day, Glover and Davis Love were facing winds that were estimated at 20-25 miles per hour, gusts as strong as 30-35, but if they had any good news, it was this: It is expected to get worse. Weather officials on their daily briefing reported that the wind could blow at 45-50 by later in the round, at about the time when K.J. Choi, Greg Norman, Camilo Villegas, and Rocco Mediate -- the last two groups to go off -- make their way to the first tee.

With out-of-bounds down the right and a ferocious left-to-right wind, all you can do is wish them well at that 450-yard hole. Then, offer this suggestion: Have you ever thought of putting it off the tee to keep it out of the wind?

SOUTHPORT, England -- The thank you note will start something like this: "Dear Kenny, thanks very much for lacking the competitive fire to come over to the British Open, but let me tell you, it's not that hard. Best of luck in Milwaukee, Camilo."

All right, so Camilo Villegas has no intention of writing any such letter to Kenny Perry and even if he were, he'd never suggest that what was going on here at Royal Birkdale was easy. OK, so he made eight birdies -- including five straight at the end -- to shoot the best-ever second round score in British Open history at this spectaular links course, a 5-under 65 that got him within one of Greg Norman's clubhouse lead of even-par 140.

Five straight birdies? Has someone taken the British Open down the street to the Southport Muni? Villegas seemed to sense that people might focus on the finish and forget what preceded it.

"I also played 13 other [holes] and they were tough," said the native of Colombia and a third-year member of the PGA Tour.

And while some will suggest that he brought Birkdale to its knees, Villegas wanted to reiterate that the course is still far ahead in this championship.

"Let me tell you, when you get on the first tee, you never think about a score," he said.

Villegas's eight birdies were more than double what playing competitors Jim Furyk (two) and Nick Dougherty (one) combined for and they afforded him the chance to leapfrog a long list of names. Having started the day tied for 74th, when he finished his round he was tied for second at 1-over 141 and only one player, Greg Norman, was ahead of him.

Now the twist to all this is the way in which the former University of Florida standout got into the field. He was an alternate as of a few weeks ago, only Perry decided that he didn't want to take the exemption. Thus did it go to Villegas, who was thrilled to have it.

"Kenny decided not to come, which I'm glad he did," said Villegas. "I love it here. Obviously, it's very different. I've repeated myself many times over about that one. It requires a lot of imagination. I love that."

SOUTHPORT, England -- We're still waiting for confirmation, but we are certain that we just heard Carl Spackler suggest to Bishop Pickering: "I'd keep playing. I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for quite a while."

Movie time? Heck no, it's Round 2 of the 137th British Open which is getting more flavorful and delightful by the minute. At last glance, Rocco Mediate was leading at 1-under, but he's just slammed his second shot at the par-4 11th into high, wet, gnarly hay to the right of the green, so who knows what the leaderboard will look like in five minutes.

Then again, who cares? Right now, the weather once again is dominating this grandest of all golf championships and the thought occurs that whoever did say that the coldest winter ever was the summer he or she spent in San Francisco (let's not pin that on Mark Twain) must not have been a golf writer privileged to have covered the British Open. (And, yes, I mean to use the word privilege, for this is as good as it gets in this sport.)

Right now, the weather could be termed delightful -- relatively speaking, of course. There's a solid gray ceiling above, a steady 20-mile-per-hour breeze, but no rain, and the temperature is a manageable 53 degrees. But on deck? Well, let's just say it could be bloody good fun.

The temperature is going to drop a few degrees, but the wind is going to pick up and the rain is expected to fall. "Heavier showers at times," is how the meteorgological folks have described it, and if you're thinking that that means the players who drew the harsher weather Thursday morning will do so again this afternoon, give yourself a birdie.

Yes, they've gotten the short end of "the draw" and while you may think it's unfortunate, I look at it differently.

I call it golf. So, play on. And as if that's not enough to look forward to, consider what Saturday is predicted to bring: Blustery showers through the morning, with winds steady at 30 miles per hour and kicking up to perhaps 40 or 45.

It just keeps getting better.

SOUTHPORT, England -- The glamour couple of this year's British Open -- Greg Norman and Chris Evert -- have certainly chosen a unique way to spend a sort of extended honeymoon. He's playing golf in cold, wet weather, she's walking outside over mud and sand dunes.

Recently married, Norman and Evert have been quite the attraction for a British press that is sorely missing Tiger Woods, but it's not like the publicity has hindered either of them. Norman, the 53-year-old two-time British Open champion, shot even-par 70 to settle in just one stroke off the first-round lead, while Evert was casually walking among fans and conversing with reporters.

In today's Daily Express, there was a big splash accompanied by four color photos as a riveting story was unveiled: Norman was stopped by a police officer for talking on his cell phone, the call having been from Evert.

Norman told reporters he was issued a warning after explaining that he did not know it was against the law over here to talk on his cellphone while driving.

Hardly ruffled by his run-in with the authorities, Norman turned back the clock to those glory days of 1986 (when he won at Turnberry) and 1993 (when he won at St. George's) with a round that included two birdies and two bogeys. Not bad for a guy who has rarely competed over the last six or seven seasons. But while she may be his new wife and biggest fan, Evert wasn't getting swept up in the commotion -- at least not yet.

"I would be surprised if he kept this up, considering how much he plays golf," said the onetime tennis star. "We play tennis one hour a day. For Greg to keep this up might be too much to expect. He had no expectations today. He was relaxed, just played golf, and played great."

SOUTHPORT, England -- Moving down the first fairway just after 8:30 this morning, the official from the Royal & Ancient let us in on the good news. The weather, he said, was going to clear in about an hour.

Three hours later, we had to assume he had to have been referring to the weather in Spain. Or perhaps Finland. That's because here at Royal Birkdale, the rain was still pelting, the wind was whipping, and the cold was biting.

Which isn't to say the first round of the 137th British Open was miserable. To the contrary, it was bloody good fun, even with the rain, the 25-mile-per-hour wind, and 50-degree weather. So long as you were watching, that is.

As for those who had to play, well, Pat Perez felt compelled to speak for them.

"I don't see it as golf," said the native of San Diego. "They do here, but I don't."

Normally, players of this caliber finish a round of golf and go over their birdies and bogeys and detail the key numbers of their round. On this day, Perez had two numbers only: four and three, as in the number of towels and golf gloves he needed. He relayed some silly shots that spoke volumes for how tough things were -- an 8-iron that traveled 45 yards at the first hole, a driver and 3-wood to reach the 421-yard second, a driver and 3-wood combination that still left him 68 yards shy of the 499-yard par-4 sixth.

Befitting the sort of day that it was, it was only natural to approach a man name Graeme Storm. His reaction to the conditions? "It was very severe out there," he said. "The rain was coming down hard at times and I'm absolutely soaked."

As am I, though it doesn't matter. The day is only half over and there's plenty of fun left.

SAN DIEGO -- It may have lacked the length or the difficulty of Sunday's dramatic putt, but Tiger Woods's return to the 18th green at Torrey Pines was just as successful on a sun-splashed Monday.

Just as he had done Sunday with a quick and twisting 12-foot putt, Woods converted a 4-footer for birdie to tie his 18-hole US Open playoff against Rocco Mediate and force it into sudden death.

Having trailed by a stroke entering the 18th hole, Woods made birdie at 18 to shoot even-par 71 and match Mediate, who had gone ahead by one with his third straight birdie at the par-4 15th. But when Mediate couldn't birdie the 18th onward for an extra hole they went.

More than up to the challenge to take on the world's greatest player for an extra 18 holes, the 45-year-old Mediate simply couldn't get the job done on the 19th. Badly missing the fairway with his drive and the green with his approach, Mediate's bogey at the par-4 seventh paved the way for Woods to win his third US Open and his 14th major championship.

While Mediate chopped up the sudden-death hole, Woods was textbook -- a drive into the fairway, on the green in regulation, and two putts for a clinching par.

SAN DIEGO -- Given that Tiger Woods attracts enormous crowds everytime he tees it up, it's to be expected that the fans often become a small part of his show.

In Thursday's opening round of the 108th US Open at Torrey Pines, a gentleman standing alongside the ninth fairway got struck by one of Woods's errant shots. It was painful, but the man didn't complain; in fact, as a Woods fan he felt comforted by the fact he stopped the ball from going even most astray. As it was, Woods was able to get the next shot close to the hole and make birdie.

Fast forward to late Saturday and the 17th hole. Woods was surging, but he unleashed another wild drive right, so wide that it kicked up into the gallery. He had gone beyond thick rough, into dry grass that had been matted down by so much traffic and as the ball rolled harmlessly, a woman reached over and picked it up.

An initial report said the woman kept the ball and walked away and that Woods was left to put a new ball in play.

Officials said it didn't happen that way. They said that the woman picked the ball up, but when the crowd reacted in unison, she dropped it immediately. With US Golf Association rules officials on hand, Woods played his next shot from the point where it was agreed that the woman had picked up the ball.

Playing his next shot left and short of the green, Woods was in thick rough, but what came next was a classic moment -- he holed out for a birdie to get within a stroke of Lee Westwood.

The eagle that he made on the next hole to get into a one-stroke lead? Woods did that all on his own, without any assitance from the fans.

SAN DIEGO -- When it's six-and-a-half hours before the leaders tee off and you're sitting at the golf course already, what else to do but stare at numbers. They tell the story of golf and when it's the US Open, you know the numbers will be flavorful. So as Ryuji Imada and Anthony Kim prepare for the first tee time in a few minutes, a look at the giant scoreboard offers proof that you know you are at the US Open when:

* There's a player, Justin Leonard, who hasn't made a birdie in two days, yet he easily has made the cut and sits just eight shots off the lead. Through two rounds, Leonard has made five bogeys and 31 pars to shoot 75-72 -- 147.

* Vijay Singh will usually make three birdies before he makes the turn at a weekly PGA Tour event, but in 36 holes at Torrey Pines, he's made just two. He went without a birdie in Round 2, but made the cut at 7-over 148.

* Yet another former major winner, Mike Weir, hasn't been in contention for any skins, either. Like Singh, he went without a birdie in Round 2 and has made but two in 36 holes. He's also 3-over at the par-5 13th.

* Then again, perhaps they should all talk with young Argentine Andres Romero. He has blitzed Torrey Pines for 10 birdies in two days. (Of course, he's also made eight bogeys and two doubles to sit 2-over, five off the lead.)

* What is it about Steve Stricker and Torrey Pines' front side? He's 8-over on those holes, but 1-under on the back.

* Maybe he should ask D.J. Trahan, who hasn't made a bogey on the front, going 3-under in two days.

* As for that ride along Torrey's back nine, be careful if you follow Justin Hicks. You could get motion sickness. He's made seven birdies, eight bogeys, and just three pars over the first two days.

* Sergio Garcia played his first seven holes of the tournament in 6-over; he is 3-under over the last 29.

SAN DIEGO -- Halfway through the 108th US Open, we have a winner: The US Golf Association's set-up and handling of Torrey Pines' South Course.

"This is the best. It's perfect. Nothing is wrong," said Rocco Mediate, who is like the Energizer Bunny when a microphone or TV camera gets near him. He keeps going and going and going . . . but since the USGA often gets beat up on the way they turn par-5s into par-4s and grow rough and kill greens, well, they'll gladly accept his endorsement.

Especially pleasing to Mediate were the different tee boxes that were used at the par-5 13th and par-3 16th. There are not only different yardages, but different angles.

"Thirteen was back today. I think that's great. They're doing a great job," said Mediate. "I think most of the guys will say the same thing. I haven't heard any complaining this week."

Mediate may be embellishing just a bit, but mostly he's right. Players have generally favored the set-up, but there are warnings put forth by players who've been through these US Opens before. They will tell you that there's a long way to go and some will reserve judgement until the weekend plays out.

"This golf course is only going to get harder and more difficult," said Tiger Woods.

Bring it on, said Mediate.

"It's my favorite kind of golf. It's hard," he said."

SAN DIEGO -- All together now. The British are coming. The British are coming.

Well, at least early in Round 2 of the US Open Luke Donald is on the move, which is a good thing, because boy was Round 1 a smashing dud for the lads from the UK.

Before we get into that, the good news is Donald, he of the classic, sweet-as-syrup golf swing. He birdied the par-3 third and is 1-under midway through the front nine, good enough to sit just two off the lead. Having opened with an even-par 71 Thursday, Donald appears to be playing beautifully, which is good news because . . .

Boy did the opening day stink for the English.

How bad was it? Consider that a totally unknown American named Kyle Stanley shot 72, which was a score beaten by only two of England's finest -- Lee Westwood's 70 and Donald's 71. After that, the Brits were battered and beaten by Torrey Pines. Ross Fisher did manage a 73 and make the opening day's lone eagle at the par-5 13th, but look what the heralded crew of English did: Ian Poulter and Nick Dougherty had 78s, while Paul Casey and Justin Rose shot 79s. Even the under-the-radar Brits stumbled -- Ross McGowan with a 76, Phil Archer a 78, and career amateur Gary Wolstenholme an 83.

Ouch.

So, unless Donald can continue the charge and Westwood later today can match his first-round work, well, it probably won't matter that the late Sunday finish out here, coupled with the California time zone, makes it impossible for newspapers in the UK to carry news of the US Open's final round in Monday's paper.

There'll be very little reason for the English to care.

If past history is any indication, Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman better enjoy the spotlight while it lasts. Which most likely is for another day or two, but certainly won't last into late Sunday.

They share the first-round lead at the US Open, each of them authoring 3-under 68s over a firm-and-getting-firmer Torrey Pines Golf Course. But while that was cause for smiles for each gentleman, perhaps they could be reminded that a first-round leader hasn't gone on to win this national championship since Tiger Woods did it in 2002. The list of those who have started fast, but slowly faded is impressive:

2003: Brett Quigley and Tom Watson shared the lead, but finished tied for 28th.

2004: Jay Haas and Shigeki Maruyama were tied for the lead after Thursday and while they didn't crash, neither did they win, finishing T-9 and T-4, respectively.

2005: Olin Browne and Rocco Mediate were joint first through 18 holes, but finished T-23 and T-6, respectively.

2006: The one and only Colin Montgomerie had the first-day lead. The one and only Colin Montgomerie failed to hold on, finishing tied for second.

2007: It was Englishman Nick Dougherty in front at Oakmont a year ago, but he faded into a share of seventh.

Truth be told, neither Hicks nor Streelman has a resume anywhere near as good as those mentioned above, so it's easy to see where they're expected to fold. But that doesn't mean that Streelman isn't looking forward to the challenge.

"Those are my dreams to paly with those guys," he said in reference to Phil Mickelson (who shot 71) and Tiger Woods (72). I want to compete against hte best of the best and test myself against them."

He will get the chance today and most likely over the weekend. Chances are, he won't like the outcome.

You can almost hear Angel Cabrera muttering to himself in true Steve McCroskey fashion: "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking."

No, he's not auditioning for a part in "Airplane." He's trying to defend his US Open title here at Torrey Pines, but he can kiss that goodbye. So far as title defenses go, it was hardly a spirited effort as the burly Argentine -- he of the stunning win at Oakmont CC a year ago -- has gone out in a untidy 43 strokes to soar to 8-over par, a whopping 11 off the clubhouse lead.

Earlier in the week, Cabrera was asked about the storyline that accompanied his victory a year ago, that is his passion for cigarettes. It was at Oakmont when Carera told reporters that "some players have sports psychologists, but I smoke." The only thing is, Cabrera revealed that he has given up smoking -- or at least he said he had. Given that he's made six bogeys and one double-bogey in his first nine holes, it wouldn't be a shock to see him storm off the 10th tee with a cigarette going.

Assuming nothing dramatic happens -- like a back-nine 30 -- it appears that for a 19th consecutive US Open, we will not have a successful title defense.