At 7,040 yards, the Pebble Beach Golf Links are relatively short for a U.S. Open course, but the USGA has countered that problem with its customary penal setup. That's why many believe it gives shotmakers who are shorter hitters a much better chance to win than they had at back-breaking Bethpage Black.
Jim Furyk, a former Open champion, is one of those shotmakers. He began with a bogey at No. 10 but already has rallied with birides at Nos. 12 and 13 to get back in red at -1 in a group with Padraig Harrington and Japan's Hiroyuki Fujita. They trail Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen and Spain's Rafael Cabrera-bello, who are at -2.
Phil Mickelson parred his third hole, the par-3 12th, and Y.E. Yang recorded a second straight bogey. Harrington parred, but as he typically does in U.S. Opens, the Irishman looks very good tee to green and his putting is in good form.
