Open Digest

Other news from the US Open

Tiger holds no grudges with GM

No hard feelings then.

Tiger Woods - who had a five-year contract worth a reputed €30million with struggling car manufacturer General Motors cut in December, a year short of its expiry date - doesn't hold any grudges.

Although Lexus are the official car suppliers to the US Open, the world's number one has been using a Buick Enclave this week to make the journey from his rental home to and from the course.

Garcia's timing is still a little off the mark

SERGIO GARCIA has been on a bit of a charm offensive in the run-up to the US Open this week, seeking to get on the right side of the New York golf fans who he offended in 2002 when he acknowledged their heckling by sticking up his middle finger.

To the galleries back then, the Spaniard known as El Nino suddenly became El Diablo.

At the time, Garcia was walking out with tennis star Martina Hingis . . . and Garcia had to listen to jibes, "your girlfriend's got more majors than you."

Garcia's troubles had started with his propensity to waggle, the NY crowd jeering him for the amount of time he took with his club behind the ball. At one point, he told a heckler, "if it bothers you, don't look." And he even went as far as calling out another fan after hearing him shout, "Waggle boy." Garcia's reaction was to confront the fan saying, "one more time, come on, don't be afraid." When the heckler backed down, Garcia retorted, "Didn't think so."

Although he has gone out of his way to sign autographs and be friendly to fans ahead of this US Open, broadcaster Peter Kostis - who is also coach to Paul Casey - is of the opinion that Garcia's recent announcement that he had broken up with Morgan-Leigh Norman, the daughter of legend Greg, was a case of bad timing.

"I'm not sure I would have gone public with that stuff prior to the US Open, let's put it that way," said Kostis, the golf anchor on CBS. "I'm a Boston Red Sox (baseball) fan and if the New York fans sense a little blood in the water, they're going to go after you. It could be tough (for Garcia), I hope it isn't."

Bethpage by the numbers

78- Number of players who started their first rounds - most of them probably wishing they hadn't - before the siren called them ashore.

5- Number of multiple winners from this season's US Tour in the field: Tiger Woods (Bay Hill Invitational, The Memorial), Phil Mickelson (LA Open, WGC-CA Championship), Geoff Ogilvy (Mercedes Benz Championship, Accenture Matchplay), Zach Johnson (Sony Open, Texas Open), Brian Gay (The Heritage Classic, St Jude Classic).

90- Number of greenkeeping staff equipped with squeegees position around the course in an attempt to beat the weather. They found that their task was akin to collecting water with a sieve.