Tiger Woods was the first golfer yesterday to play a practice round at Bethpage Black, the Long Island course which hosts this year’s US Open beginning Thursday, Newsday reports. “Obviously the golf course is phenomenal,” he said today. “It’s playing long this week. It’s not exactly dry out there. This golf course brings back some great memories for me from seven years ago.”
Woods—who won that last Open played at Bethpage and is also defending champ—said inclement weather ahead of the tourney could slow down play but expects the energy of the fans to pull him through. Bethpage has “a great crowd to play in front of,” Woods said. “Even when it was raining, the people were out here, having a good time, tipping back a couple.” (More Tiger Woods stories.)