Ominous signs as Woods clicks into gear

It was not even 8am and Tiger Woods was on only his second hole at the US Open, but one fan in San Francisco had seen enough.

“If this goes in, the tournament’s over,” he told his friend.

Woods did not hole his pitch. It did not even stay on the green. But when he signed later for a one-under-par 69 – his best start in the event for a decade - there were many more people thinking he was on course for his 15th major.

It is four years since the 14th came at Torrey Pines, but that was the last time Woods had teed it up in the first round of a major alongside Phil Mickelson and it seemed to do the trick again.

While Mickelson lost a ball up a tree with his opening drive and took 76 – and Masters champion Bubba Watson, the third member of the star group, struggled even more in taking 78 – Woods plotted his way round into a share of second place.

Fellow American Michael Thompson was three ahead of him after arguably the round of his life, but that will not concern Woods.

He is, of course, looking for a second straight title after his victory in the Memorial Tournament two weeks ago and this was just as impressive stuff.

“I played well – I felt like I had control of my game all day and stuck to my game plan,” he said.

“We knew it (the course) was going to be quick, but we didn’t think it was going to happen overnight.

“I was really, really surprised how much it changed – it was just like they used sub-air on the whole place and you had to make adjustments.

“I was very pleased with every fact of my game and I stayed very patient.”

Mickelson, five times a runner-up in the event without winning commented after making his joint worst start in 22 appearances, said: “Tiger struck it really well. He had real solid control of his flight and trajectory.”