BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. This was the time for Americans on the bubble for making the Ryder Cup team to make a statement. It wasn't what Hunter Mahan had in mind.
Mahan is 10th in the standings – only the top eight qualify after the PGA Championship – and he got off to a rugged start with a double-bogey Thursday. It didn't get much better.
He had a triple-bogey on the fourth hole and shot 42 on the front nine. His round ended with one last bogey for an 81, the highest score of his career.
Woody Austin, who is at No.9, went out in 40 while playing in the afternoon. D.J. Trahan (No. 11) opened with a 72, and Zach Johnson (No.13) had a 76. The most impressive performance came from Sean O'Hair, who won in Tampa this year and is No.14 in the standings.
O'Hair was atop the leader board most of the morning and finished with a 1-under 69.
“It's in the back of my mind,” he said. “I really want to play on the team, but thinking about it would get in my way.”
RUDE AWAKENING
Robert Allenby thought it was strange to see glass around the back of his courtesy car on his way to the tournament. Seconds later, he realized someone had broken into his car.
“I walked out and said, ‘What's all that glass?'” he said. “Then I saw a half-dozen cars just like it.”
He said nothing was missing from his car, but that wasn't the case for what he estimated to be 10 other courtesy cars that were parked at the Southfield Marriott about 5 miles from Oakland Hills. Other victims included K.J. Choi, who had his 5-wood in the back. That was left alone, but the navigation system was gone.
DIVOTS
Among those at Oakland Hills was Morgan Pressel, the youngest LPGA major champion in history. She was visiting family, had dinner planned with Davis Love III and wanted to walk a few holes with Adam Scott.Temperatures topped 100 degrees in the first round last year at Southern Hills in Oklahoma. As the afternoon groups were teeing off Thursday, it was 75.
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