Woods yet to spark

Tiger Woods, Luke Donald and Ernie Els were locked together after their first nine holes of the US Open at Pinehurst today – but not in the lead.

American Jeff Maggert was out in front at two under par while twice winners Woods and Els and rising star Donald, paired with the world number one, were all one over.

Woods, trying again for the second leg of an unprecedented Grand Slam, picked up where he left off at the Masters in April with a birdie.

But this one had an element of luck attached to it. Starting on the par five 10th he pushed his drive 25 yards right of the fairway, missing the thick rough and finishing on a sandy path.

From there he was able to get to the edge of the green and a 12-foot putt gave him the perfect opening.

However, he continued to struggle off the tee and it eventually caught up with him when he bogeyed the 15th and 16th.

Donald was much steadier over the opening holes and got his just reward with a pitch to the 13th that spun past the edge of the cup to two feet.

At the difficult 16th, though, he pulled his drive into rough and then with his third shot chipped over the green.

That brought a bogey and he missed the green at the short 17th as well.

Els did well to save par on the 10th, making a 14-footer after pitching into the guarding bunker, but bogeyed three holes later and was still searching for his first birdie as he turned for home.

Lee Westwood was also one over after six, while Graeme McDowell, making his debut in the event, made up for an opening bogey with a birdie at the third to stand level par and joint eighth.

Nick Dougherty and Jonathan Lomas, two more of the British debutants, were two over after 10, but Ian Poulter slumped to four over after five and Paul Casey, trying to fight his way out of a horrid spell, was losing that battle. He stood six over after just seven holes.

Yorkshire’s Simon Dyson, another first-timer, bogeyed the second.