SAN FRANCISCO — Seventeen-year-old Beau Hossler had sole possession of the lead at the U.S. Open on Friday after a birdie on No. 1.
Then reality hit for the California amateur on a stretch billed as the hardest start in tournament history.
He bogeyed No. 2, doubled No. 4 and bogeyed Nos. 5 and 6 to drop off the leaderboard.
Sergio Garcia could attest to that. He smashed a microphone on the third tee after his shot came up short on the downhill par 3, and he was seen pounding another club three holes later.
Rickie Fowler maintained his composure. But it wasn’t easy after he took a triple-bogey 7 on No. 1 after driving left into the bushes, then three-putting the tricky green.
James Hahn didn’t fare much better, hitting his tee shot 50 yards left, out of bounds, and through a tunnel.
“We have heard a lot about (the first six holes) and today I helped with the high stroke average,” quipped Nick Watney, who went bogey-double bogey-bogey on the first three and was 6 over through the first nine Friday.
