U.S. OPEN NOTES : Twenty-One Years Later, Oakmont Gets Revenge

On his way to an 81, Johnny Miller shot a 43 on the front nine, including a start of double bogey, par, double bogey, bogey, bogey.

That’s a long way from the final-round 63 that Miller produced to win the 1973 U.S. Open at Oakmont.

For the record, Miller reached 63 Thursday with his tee shot on the 14th hole, which he bogeyed.

Miller refused to come to the interview room afterward, but had a brief comment for pool reporters.

“The (U.S. Golf Assn.) is loving it,” he said. “No one is creaming the course.”

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Chris Patton, who got into the tournament as an alternate, got out of it after eight holes because of heat exhaustion.

“I felt dizzy and sick at my stomach,” he said.

According to Patton, he has been on a diet and lost about 40 pounds. He said he weighed 352 at Christmas.

Patton said he has been spurred to lose weight after reading a story about him titled, “A Giant Disappointment.”

Patton added: “That really hurt. I’ve wanted to prove that even if I can’t play golf, I can do something. I’ve wanted to make him eat his words.”

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Worst score of the day? It went to Gil Morgan, who shot a quadruple-bogey nine on No. 4. Tim Simpson and Ian Woosnam shot eights on the same hole.

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Olin Browne, 25, of Jupiter, Fla., playing in his first U.S. Open, shot a 33 on his front nine but finished with a 74.

Along the way, Browne figured out a good way to approach Oakmont.

“You hit the best shot you can and hold on for dear life,” he said.