Reporting from Oakmont, Pa. — Lee Westwood joked this week that he likes to “Rolls-Royce” it at home in England with his golf now. Translated, that means that when he’s off for a week he cruises up to the course and goes to the first tee without a warmup swing.
So the stops and starts of the weather-hampered first round of the U.S. Open didn’t bother him a bit. Westwood finished his first round Friday morning with a pair of birdies to shoot three-under-par 67 at Oakmont Country Club. The 43-year-old was to start his second round early on Saturday morning.
“I don’t stiffen up or anything like that. Being the finely tuned athlete I am, you wouldn’t expect would you?” Westwood said on Friday, drawing chuckles from the gathered media.
Westwood jokes about a lot of things, but he is sternly serious about winning a major.
His first major.
Westwood has captured 23 European Tour titles and two PGA Tour championships, but in the majors he has has nine top-three finishes, including three runners-up.
His closest call in the U.S. Open was having a putt on the 18th hole to get into the playoff with Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate in 2008 at Torrey Pines. Westwood tied for 36th in the 2007 Open at Oakmont.
“I’ve been playing really nicely, really looking forward to coming back to Oakmont,” said Westwood, who has three top-10s in his last four starts, tying for second in the Masters. “I like the challenge. This golf course is certainly a challenge. It tests you mentally. I sort of picked up where I left off at the Masters and the last three weeks I played.
“I felt confident out there and hit a lot of good shots,” he added. “I was shaping it both ways, which you need to do in U.S. Opens to get at a lot of the flags.”
Piercy in the hunt
After barely finishing his second round before dark, Scott Piercy said, “My feet feel like they’re on fire. My calves feel like they’re on fire. I’m excited to be done.”
His spirits were in pretty good shape. The three-time PGA Tour winner scored 68 in the morning and 70 in the afternoon to get to 2 under. Among the players who finished 36 holes, only Dustin Johnson (4 under) scored better, while Piercy was tied with Sergio Garcia.
1/37
Dustin Johnson, right, gets a congratulatory hug from his caddie and younger brother Austin after making a birdie on the 18th hole Sunday at the U.S. Open.
(Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images) 2/37
Dustin Johnson celebrates with partner Paulina Gretzky and son Tatum after winning the U.S. Open on Sunday at Oakmont Country Club.
(Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images) 3/37
Dustin Johnson hoists the U.S. Open winner’s trophy alongside Jack Nicklaus on Sunday evening at Oakmont Country Club. (Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)
4/37
Dustin Johnson reacts after saving par at No. 16 on Sunday during the final round of the U.S.Open. (Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
5/37
Shane Lowry reacts after missing a putt on the seventh hole during the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) 6/37
Sergio Garcia hits out of the bunker for a birdie on the eighth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press) 7/37
Jim Furyk reacts after making a birdie putt on the 17th hole Sunday during the final round of the U.S. Open. Furyk finished with a 66.
(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press) 8/37
Dustin Johnson plays an approach shot on the third hole Sunday during the final round of the U.S. Open.
(David Cannon / Getty Images) 9/37
Scott Piercy lines up his putt at No. 17 on Sunday during the final round of the U.S. Open.
(David Cannon / Getty Images) 10/37
Lee Westwood plays his approach shot on the first hole during the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on Sunday.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images) 11/37
Dustin Johnson prepares to putt on the fourth green during the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on Sunday. (Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)
12/37
Branden Grace of South Africa preapres to drive at the first hole during the final round of the U.S. Open on Sunday.
(Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images) 13/37
Lee Westwood walks down the 15th fairway during third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday at Oakmont Country Club.
(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press) 14/37
Andrew Landry listens to caddie Kevin Ensor as he checks the yardage from a row of bunkers on the third hole Saturday during the third round of the U.S. Open.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images) 15/37
Lee Westwood plays a shot from a bunker at the 11th hole Saturday during the third round of the U.S. Open.
(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images) 16/37
Shane Lowry reacts after making a birdie at No 7 during the third round of the U.S. Open.
(John Minchillo / Associated Press) 17/37
Dustin Johnson hits his drive at No. 4 during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
18/37
Louis Oosthuizen, right, is congratulated by Lee Westwood after making a birdie putt at No. 10 during the third round of the U.S. Open.
(Sam Greenwood / Getty Images) 19/37
Jason Dufner hits a shot from the church pew bunkers on the third hole at Oakmont Country Club during the third round of the U.S. Open.
(David Cannon / Getty Images) 20/37
Andrew Landry plays a shot on the first hole during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday.
(Rob Carr / Getty Images) 21/37
Lee Westwood of England celebrates his eagle on the fifth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open on Saturday.
(David Cannon / Getty Images) 22/37
Sergio Garcia hits his tee shot at No. 8 during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday at Oakmont Country Club.
(Christian Petersen / Getty Images) 23/37
Fans leave the prepare to leave grandstand seating at Oakmont Country Club after play Friday.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) 24/37
Justin Thomas hits his approach shot at No. 15 on Friday during the second round of the U.S. Open.
(Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images) 25/37
Dustin Johnson hits an approach shot at the third hole during the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday.
(David Cannon / Getty Images) 26/37
Dustin Johnson watches his tee shot on the fourth hole during the rain-delayed second round of the U.S. Open on Friday. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
27/37
Fans cheer after Jason Day hits his tee shot at No. 18 on Friday during the continuation of the first round of the U.S. Open.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images) 28/37
Jason Day hits his approach shot at No. 14 during the continuation of the first round of the U.S. Open on Friday at Oakmont Country Club.
(Andrew Redington / Getty Images) 29/37
Fans cross the third fairway during a rain delay on Thursday at the U.S. Open. Play was suspended at Oakmont Country Club with only nine golfers completing the first round.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) 30/37
Fans wait inside during a rain delay Thursday at Oakmont Country Club on the first day of the U.S. Open.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) 31/37
Andrew Landry follows through on his tee shot at the seventh hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) 32/37
Jordan Spieth (white cap) and caddie Michael Greller (standing) prepare to leave the course during a delay at Oakmont Country Club on Thursday.
(Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images) 33/37
Andrew Landry watches his tee shot at the fourth hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday at Oakmont, Pa. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
34/37
Zach Johnson plays a shot from the Church Pews bunker on the third hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
(Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images) 35/37
Bubba Watson watches his approach shot at No. 9 during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday. (David Cannon / Getty Images)
36/37
Amatuer Scottie Schefflertalks with his caddie and sister Callie Scheffler on Thursday during the first round of the U.S. Open.
(David Cannon / Getty Images) 37/37
Bryson DeChambeau hits out of a bunker on the third hole during the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.
(Charlie Riedel / Associated Press) A San Diego State alum, Piercy is in his eighth full year on tour, but has only contended in a major once – a tie for fifth in the 2013 PGA Championship.
“Putter let me down a little bit in the afternoon,” Piercy said. “But the ball striking was really pretty amazing today in the afternoon for sure.”
Piercy estimated that he missed four or five putts from inside 10 feet.
England nail-biter
Thursday was a doubly good day for Westwood. In the morning, England’s national soccer team got a goal in the 92nd minute to beat Wales 2-1 in the European Championship.
“I’ve got to be careful here because a lot of my mom’s family are Welsh,” Westwood said. “But I will say that I should not be biting my nails with 15 minutes left, thinking, can we get a winner against Wales?”
Summerhays surprises with 65
Daniel Summerhays has been a cut-making machine on the PGA Tour this season, but he rarely shoots low. That’s what made his second round so surprising. The 32-year-old shot five under on the back nine to notch the week’s best score, a five-under 65, to get to one under overall for the tournament.
He was only two shots off Johnny Miller’s course and U.S. Open record of 63.
Summerhays is the nephew of former PGA Tour player Bruce Summerhays. The Utah native is a journeyman on tour, having notched his only pro victory in the Web.com Tour’s 2007 Nationwide Children’s Championship.
This season on the PGA Tour, Summerhays has played 18 times, making all but three cuts, with a top finish of a tie for 13th.
Notable
Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson was seven over through 16 holes of the second round. He’d made only four birdies in 34 holes. … UCLA alum Kevin Chappell shot a 76 in the first round that included a double-bogey and triple-bogey.
tod.leonard@sduniontribune.com
