Tiger practices at Bethpage as he prepares for U.S. Open

Published 11:08 pm Monday, June 8, 2009

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Tiger Woods returned to the Black Course at Bethpage on Monday, tuning up in prepraration for his U.S. Open title defense.

Woods made a detour on his way home from winning the Memorial in Ohio a day earlier, playing 18 holes with swing coach Hank Haney.

Newsday reported that several dozen golfers who planned to play at Bethpage State Park’s four other courses spied the world’s No. 1 player and immediately pulled out cell-phone cameras.

Woods planned to return home to Florida later Monday and practice on his home course at Isleworth leading to the Open, which is June 18-21.

Woods won last year’s Open at Torrey Pines in a 19-hole playoff against Rocco Mediate. He won the U.S. Open in 2002, the last time it was held at Bethpage Black, and was the only player to finish under par.

The Black Course has been lengthened to 7,426 yards since. It features graduated rough that should allow players to reach the green instead of hacking out to the fairway.

Daly fails to qualify for U.S. Open

John Daly makes his return to the PGA Tour this week.

His return to the U.S. Open will have to wait at least another year.

In his first time competing in America since the PGA Tour lifted his six-month suspension, Daly managed just four birdies over 36 holes of a U.S. Open qualifier Monday. He shot 1-over 143 and didn’t come close to getting one of 13 spots available in Tennessee.

“My feet are tired,” Daly said after politely declining an interview with a Memphis TV station.

Daly was awarded a sponsor’s exemption for the St. Jude Classic, which starts Thursday, and he took one positive out of two mediocre rounds at Ridgewood (70) and Germantown (73). At least it helped him make the transition from playing in Europe.

“Being over there for five weeks, the greens are so much slower there and I wasn’t used to the speed,” he said.

Duval in, Lee out

David Duval is returning to the U.S. Open, while Danny Lee missed a shot at earning the spot he surrendered.

Duval, absent from the last two Opens, made the grade in the 36-hole sectional qualifier at Brookside and The Lakes courses. The 121-player field included 61 PGA Tour players. Many were coming off four grueling days at the Memorial Tournament but figured it was worth it to get to play at Bethpage Black in two weeks.

Lee had earned an automatic U.S. Open berth last summer by becoming the youngest player to ever win the U.S. Amateur. But when he turned pro this spring, he was forced to give up his spot. He shot a 3-under 69 in the morning at the Lakes and then an even-par 72 at Brookside in the afternoon.

Asked if he was disappointed, the South Korean-born, New Zealand-raised 19-year-old said, “A little bit, but that’s golf. I need to practice harder and hopefully I’ll do better.”