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Mahan, Austin Don't Help Hopes

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 8, 2008

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. - This was the time for American players on the bubble for making the Ryder Cup team to make a statement. It wasn't what Hunter Mahan had in mind.

Mahan is 10th in the standings - only the top eight qualify after the PGA Championship - and he got off to a rugged start with a double bogey. It didn't get much better. He had a triple bogey on the fourth hole and shot 42 on the front nine. His round ended with one last bogey for an 81, the highest score of his career.

Tampa native Woody Austin, who is at No. 9, went out in 40 and only three tough pars at the end allowed him to shoot 79.

D.J. Trahan (No. 11) opened with a 72, while Zach Johnson (No. 13) had a 76. The most impressive performance came from Sean O'Hair (No. 14).

O'Hair was atop the leaderboard most of the morning and finished with a 1-under 69.

Rocco Mediate, who was at No. 12 and has captain Paul Azinger's attention as a possible pick, opened with a 73.

YOUTH ON STAGE: Among the more interesting groups for the first two rounds of the PGA Championship were Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas, three young players with increasing appeal.

"It was a big gallery for a Thursday tee time," Kim said.

Garcia and Kim's popularity comes more from their performance, Villegas more through marketing.

Garcia is a 28-year-old Spaniard who won The Players Championship this year and is considered by some as the best to have never won a major. He was solid in the first round, with two birdies against one bogey for a 69. Kim has the swagger of L.A., where he grew up, and the 23-year-old came of age this year with victories at the Wachovia Championship and AT&T National. He shot 70.

Villegas, a 26-year-old from Colombia who played at the University of Florida, still hasn't won on the PGA Tour. But he is famous for his "Spider-Man" routine when reading putts, model looks and natty clothing. He stayed with his more accomplished peers for much of the round until playing the final five holes in 5 over for a 74.

RUDE AWAKENING: Robert Allenby thought it was strange to see glass around the back of his courtesy car on his way to the PGA Championship on Thursday. Seconds later, he realized someone had broken into his car.

"I walked out and said, 'What's all that glass?'" Allenby said after opening with a 76. "Then I saw a half-dozen cars just like it."

Allenby said nothing was missing from his car, but that wasn't the case for what he estimated to be 10 other courtesy cars that were parked at the Southfield Marriott about 5 miles from Oakland Hills.

The Associated Press

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