Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson ended honours even in the opening round of the US PGA championship here yesterday - but both now have some catching up to do.
The world numbers one and two, clashing in a major for only the third time, returned three-under-par 69s at Medinah Country Club, as did playing partner Geoff Ogilvy.
But the trio, who have won six of the last seven majors, trailed early clubhouse leader Lucas Glover - one of the many Americans hoping to grab a Ryder Cup spot in this, their final counting event - by three.
Luke Donald, wearing black in memory of Darren Clarke's wife who died on Sunday, was only one off the lead with one to play, but bogeyed his last hole for a 68.
Lee Westwood, whose wife was attending the funeral in Northern Ireland as he teed off, made a good start too. He led at four under for a while before also dropping a shot at the ninth and so was another on 69.
Padraig Harrington, who is donating his prize-money this week to breast cancer research, was two under after 13 holes, but followed bogeys on the next two with a triple-bogey seven and finished with a 75. John Bickerton was level after ten holes and fellow Midlander Paul Broadhurst was one over, also after ten.
Glover grabbed eight birdies to set the pace.
He is 14th in the Ryder Cup race and Davis Love 15th and Love, without a top ten finish for almost six months, responded when he followed four birdies in the first five holes with an 18-foot eagle putt on the long seventh to go
into the joint lead. Told by Lehman he needed a good week, Love was six under after seven - and this on the longest course in major history.
Woods had started with a bogey six and Mickelson with two birdies. The Open champion, winner at Medinah in 1999, hooked his opening drive and hit a tree. He had to lay up on the par-five as a result, but sent his 140-yard approach over the green and failed to get up and down.
While a six went on his card, Mickelson smashed a 260-yard wood on to the green from the edge of the rough and two-putted for birdie, before adding another from five feet.
Having given his rival a three-shot start, Woods would have taken being on level terms at the end of the day. He birdied the 12th, 14th, 15th and long seventh, while Mickelson bogeyed the short second before picking up more shots on the fifth and seventh, the two par fives on the front nine.
