After many ponderings about how hard Torrey Pines would be, and how good the best players in the world could handle the course, we basically found out yesterday. After the very smart decision by the USGA to pair all of the best palyers in the world together, it is two players that aren't anywhere close to the top that is leading the pack after the first day.

    Those men are Justin Hicks and Kevin Streelman. Both put up execellent scores of -3 on Thursday. It could not have been a nicer day for golf, yet the course did not really show it. The greens are very hard and fast, and the rough is just brutal. When you here from an announcer that a player "is happy that he is in the bunker and not the rough", then you know it must be bad. Overall, only 6 players shot in the 60s yesterday, and only 11 were under par. But hey, its actually played easier than the last 2 Opens have been. Overall, this is US Open golf at its finest.

    And how did our "playing group of the century" work out? That group, with Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Adam Scott, the topp 3 players in the world, was less than spectacular. Mickelson was the best of the three with an even par 71. After being 3-over after 7 holes, Phil played very good, but was kind of all over the place, with 4 bogies and 4 birdies. But things are looking okay for Lefty, who's only 3 strokes back. Tiger had a very interesting round, too. He went out and double bogied #1, and then added another double on #14, which is very un-Tigerlike.  But he also had 3 birdies and 3 remarkable par saves to stay at 1-over. He also had a nice 3 putt on #18 on what could have been an eagle, that would have put him right in the thick of things. But overall, he didn't hurt himself, so he's still definitly in it. And #3, Adam Scott, was the worst of the 3 with a 2-over 73. Overall, the group didn't dominate the course like some may have been predicting. But i'm not about to count any of them out yet.

    So what did we learn from Day 1 of the 108th US Open? That once again, this will be the toughest tournament of the year. No one is above the course, not eve Tiger or Lefty. But I'll wait to see another day before I make my assesment.

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    And one more issue that has to be adressed: ESPN's coverage of the tournament. How do I like it? I despise it. It is horrendous. ESPN has coverage rights to the first two days, and I personally can not wait until they're done. It is just not even a golf tournament. I liken it to watching Baseball Tonight, with a lot of stories and analysis, and occasional liive coverage. It didn't feel like I was watching a golf tournament, it felt like I was watching ESPNews. It was terrible, and I don't know what they were thinking. I love Andy North's analysis, but I just want to watch some golf. If I want sports stories, I'll watch Outside the Lines. But now, I just want to watch some golf. Jeers, ESPN.

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    And now, for the sights and photos from Day 1 of the Open.

Tiger greets Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson before the group teed off.

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Eric Axley gets down to line up a putt on hole #11.

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Luke Donald hits one out of a bunker on hole #6.

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Decisions, decisions. Former Master champ Zach Johson eyes his shot on the 11th green.

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 A wonderful chip shot by Geoff Ogilvy on the 6th hole.

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Tiger Woods unhappy after his double bogey on the first hole. 

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Well, that's all for today. Until tomorrow, I'm out.

FaustoCarmonaFan is a columnist for Ur Typcial Fans.