It's time once again to hold some people accountable for how they played in a major championship. Summer vacation is in full effect for most kids, but the top 10 golfers in the world don't get to escape my red marker when it comes to the biggest events of the year.
Each grade is based on individual performances, not against one another. So no need to make comments like, "how could you give ____ the same grade as ____ when the other guy had a better score!"
Here they are, my first round grades for the top 10 off the Official World Golf Rankings and a couple random ones, because once the two finger typing gets going, it's hard to stop!
Rory McIlroy
Grade: D
World Ranking: No. 1
Score: 72 (+2)
Unfortunately when you make a comment like, "I feel like I'm the best player in the world," and then go out and shoot 2-over, putting yourself outside the cut number, you're going to get a bad grade. I might start calling him Patrick Reed Jr. Hopefully he's spent the afternoon and evening on the practice green working on speed control because 34 putts on Friday will send McIlroy home early.
Jordan Spieth
Grade: B-
World Ranking: No. 2
Score: 68 (-2)
Spieth started with a relatively uninspiring front nine with one bogey and one birdie, then he made the charge everyone was expecting for a stretch on the back nine. He had three straight birdies from the holes 11 through 13. He only hit nine of 14 fairways and had 31 putts, yet still shot 2-under. That's very encouraging going into Friday.
Jim Furyk
Grade: C
World Ranking: No. 3
Score: 71 (+1)
I'll be honest, I'm not going to be very tough on a guy whose driving distance was almost 30 yards behind the field average. I don't care if you're ranked No. 3 in the world, that's a tough thing to overcome. Furyk hit 12 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens. The 34 putts are because these are the biggest greens in U.S. Open history, so hitting them isn't necessarily an automatic two-putt. I would be happy if he makes it into the weekend.
Bubba Watson
Grade: C+
World Ranking: No. 4
Score: 70 (E)
While I am impressed by the fact Watson managed to shoot even par with a bogey and two doubles, I am disappointed that on another grand stage he fell back into the behavior that makes people think he hates his caddie. Take away those big numbers Friday and keep a good attitude all day, and the grade will improve along with the scorecard.
Justin Rose
Grade: D
World Ranking: No. 5
Score: 72 (+2)
Careless mistakes and lack of green speed knowledge is like not completing homework to me. As a former U.S. Open champ, Rose has to know how important staying focused is this week. Thirty-three putts is either a lack of preparation or a lack of focus. In either case, it needs to be improved upon dramatically as expectations of someone who has won this event recently are very high.
Henrik Stenson
Grade: B+
World Ranking: No. 6
Score: 65 (-5)
Stenson went out there like a man trying to silence the critics who say he can't perform well in majors. Seven birdies against two bogeys will force some critics to step back in the shadows at least for a day. If he can consistently hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens while amassing only 27 putts, Stenson could turn this U.S. Open into one similar to Martin Kaymer's in 2014.
Dustin Johnson
Grade: A
World Ranking: No. 7
Score: 65 (-5)
Maybe Johnson should take a "leave of absence" more often if he's going play the U.S. Open like this. He came close to knocking Johnny Miller and Jason Dufner out of the record books until a bad eagle chip on the eighth and a bogey on his final hole ruined it. But that was his only bogey of the day. He's driving it 336.5 yards on average and had 28 putts. Johnson figured out Chambers Bay early in Round 1.
Sergio Garcia
Grade: B-
World Ranking: No. 8
Score: 70 (E)
Garcia's getting this grade not only because of how he played on the course, but because he was bold enough to take to Twitter after his round and hold the USGA accountable for how the greens held up through the day. Granted, Garcia is not known as the purest putter of all time, but still, knowing the possible backlash after writing that stuff takes some serious gumption.
Rickie Fowler
Grade: F+
World Ranking: No. 9
Score: 81 (+11)
I wish I could say expectations were too high for Fowler coming into the week, but this is the guy who won the Players Championship after he was called the most overrated player on tour. Why the plus? Because he was millimeters from an ace at the par-4 12th hole. He settled for a tap-in eagle. Of course he followed it up with back-to-back bogeys. This is the part where Charlie Brown says, "Good grief!"
Jason Day
Grade: C
World Ranking: No. 10
Score: 68 (-2)
I can forgive bogeys, and Day had two, but the double on the 15th hole really derailed what could have been a very solid round. That was one of only three missed greens on the day, which says something when he only hit 10 of 14 fairways. Like most of the field, the greens gave Day some issues, but I believe that can be worked out. After he's made some putting revisions, we'll see about giving him a higher grade and good position going into the weekend.
Camilo Villegas
Grade: A-
World Ranking: No. 147
Score: 72 (+2)
I don't care what he shot on his back nine -- the epitome of the U.S. Open is a test of patience and resilience. Villegas stepped to the 12th tee (his third hole of the day) at 2-under following two birdies in a row. He ended up 36 feet from the hole, lying two in a bunker, and he left the green having to put a seven on his scorecard. It took him three swings to get out of the bunker, and he was laughing. Then, he went to the 13th and made birdie, putting him at even par after four holes. This man made one more birdie at the 16th, making the turn at 1-under. That's the fighting spirit I love to see at the U.S. Open.
Mike Davis
Grade: C-
World Ranking:N/A
Score: N/A
Maybe it's the lack of experience with this kind of grass and how it reacts to being stressed. Maybe this was what he was hoping for. Either way, by late Thursday afternoon, the greens were visibly bumpy with inconsistent speed. When "a different kind of U.S. Open" is how this championship is described, I'm pretty sure Thursday's condition is not what Davis meant. The good news is, the course itself is pretty cool otherwise, and there's time to fix the greens.
Tiger Woods
Grade: F
World Ranking: No. 195
Score: 80 (+10)
Those of you who don't know me will say I'm a Tiger hater. Those of you who do know me understand this was really hard to watch. The worst part was hearing him Tuesday say, "I just need to play more." Well, we already know his summer schedule, and he's not playing more. So how exactly does he plan on improving? It was good to see him and Louis Oosthuizen laughing on the 17th green as their horrid rounds came to a merciful close, but I'm seriously afraid for Woods' future.