GMac: "It's just tough to have fun out there, I got to be honest with you. It's just a brutal test of golf."

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Bill Fields on Graeme McDowell, the 2011 U.S. Open champion lurking at +1.

"My day was as equally un-enjoyable as yesterday," McDowell said after shooting a two-over 72 Friday at the Olympic Club that left him at one-over 141 and right in the thick of things after 36 holes. "It's just tough to have fun out there, I got to be honest with you. It's just a brutal test of golf."

Flashback: John Peterson And The USGA

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Sean Martin posted an item on qualifier John Peterson, T4 after two rounds at +1 and just two strokes out of the lead.

This is Peterson’s first major. His destination from Olympic Club? The next two stops on the Hooters Tour. He’s unaccustomed to this stage, but that has one benefit.

“I have nothing to lose,” said Peterson, a LSU product who won the NCAA individual title little more than a year ago. “I have a whole lot to gain and nothing to lose.”

You may recall that Peterson won the NCAA Championship, Jones Cup and had a runner-up finish at the Nationwide Tour stop in Columbus, but was left off the Walker Cup team that ultimately lost last year. Several of the committee members who did not include Peterson are still very active this week, including the first tee starter Dan Burton and Championship Committee Chair Tom O'Toole.

2012 U.S. Open Round One Quick Wrap-Up

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It was a prototypical, retro opening day at the US Open: Cinderella stories, a few superstars lurking and a vicious golf course ruining the hopes of several.

Not prototypical was the setup, which had more bite than recent Mike Davis setups in large part do to a huge shift in conditions overnight (I wrote about this for Golf World Daily). The greens were noticeably firmer right off the bat of the Tiger-Phil-Bubba grouping. But with the increased firmness, combined with fairways simply not wide enough for any kind of speed, players are put on the defensive. Drivers were scarce (Tiger hit three) and because of the narrowness, several players said shot shaping was mostly discouraged.

Doug Ferguson's game story sums up a rather old school U.S. Open first round:

The U.S. Open featured two marquee groups, but only one marquee player.

Take Tiger Woods out of the equation and the top five players in the world were no match for unforgiving Olympic Club.

Then again, not many were.

The lead belonged to Michael Thompson, a 27-year-old in his first U.S. Open as a pro. He made seven birdies - that's seven more than Luke Donald - for a 4-under 66 that gave him a three-shot lead over Woods and the four other lucky souls to manage to break par Thursday.

Steve DiMeglio went the Tiger route with his USA Today lede:

Tiger Woods was in total control of his golf game from his opening tee shot Thursday in the first round of the 112th U.S. Open on the arduous Lake Course at historic Olympic Club.

Sean Martin quotes 66-shooter, 22-putts-in-his-round(!) leader Michael Thompson.

“I’ve been looking forward to hopefully playing in this event for over two years,” he said. There’s a good reason why. He was runner-up in the 2007 U.S. Amateur at Olympic Club. He's staying on San Francisco's famed Lombard Street with the same family that hosted him during that Amateur. This is Thompson’s first major as a professional. What more could the second-year PGA Tour player want?

“This is just a bonus in my career. I'm not guaranteed into all the majors,” said Thompson, who had a three-shot lead when he finished Thursday’s round. “And then to have it be on one of my most favorite golf courses in the world, even better.”

Martin also has a nice piece on the Cinderellas from day one, including J.B. Park, Alistair Presnell and Beau Hossler, who all handily beat some big names.

Bob Harig analyzes the struggles of the all-star UK threesome and the conditions in the morning versus afternoon rounds.

Gary Van Sickle says that "by and large, Olympic delivered multiple humblings to the rest of the field" and runs through the ways the course won the day.

David Shefter's first round notes covers the usual noteworthy stuff, from Hossler to Mickelson's tree ball to Ryo Ishikawa's caddie Steve Molinelli, and Olympic Club member who looped for winner Colt Knost in the 2007 U.S. Amateur.

The round one scores are here.

GolfDigest.com's Birdies and Bogies from round one.

USOpen.com's picture stream is pretty impressive for image buffs.

Getty Images best shots from round one can be viewed here.

And a Golfweek image gallery is here.

If you missed it, Nick Watney's albatross.

Golf Channel's 16 minute highlight package is here.

Jimmy Roberts interviewed Thompson after the round.

And the ESPN Sportscenter highlight package:

Coach Martin Posts 74 In The Tough Afternoon Conditions

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Casey Martin recovered from a tough start, reports Bill Fields.

Early on, Martin was five over through the Olympic Club's tough half-dozen opening holes. Then came a welcome birdie at No. 7. Later on, his nerves settled down (some) and he finished with a four-over 74. It was the same first-round score he shot in his historic U.S. Open appearance at Olympic 14 years ago after he had sued for the right to ride a cart due to a painful congenital circulatory disorder in his right leg.