Tiger Woods happy with opening round of 70

For a guy who didn't drive the ball well, couldn't get his iron shots to go where he wanted, didn't make a lot of putts and didn't break par, world number one Tiger Woods was delighted with his U.S. Open start on Thursday.

"Anything even par or better is going to be just a great score throughout this event," said Woods, after returning a level par 70. "If you shoot four days at even par or better you're looking awfully good.

"I didn't drive it as well as I wanted to, I didn't hit my irons as precise as I needed to and didn't feel like I made a lot of putts but I just kept grinding."

Despite a wayward opening drive that landed on a cart path, the U.S. Masters champion was looking very smart after carding a birdie on his first hole.

It was not long, however, before Pinehurst No. 2 bared its teeth in difficult hot, gusting conditions.

Playing the back nine first, Woods round quickly turned sour along with his mood following bogeys on 15 and 16 as he snapped at photographers who interrupted his swing.

A birdie on the par-five fourth brought Woods to level par leaving him just three shots behind early leaders Olin Browne and Rocco Mediate and well placed after day one for a third U.S. Open title to go along with victories in 2000 and 2002.

It is rare that a par round at any time would leave Woods satisfied but the 29-year-old American was clearly pleased with his effort having enjoyed the challenge of taming what he viewed as a worthy opponent -- Pinehurst No. 2 whose narrow fairways, jungle-like rough and turtle-shell greens demand a top performance from every area of player's game.

"Patience is mandatory at any major and this golf course will probably test it more than any other," said Woods. "You get rewarded for shooting a round in the 60s.

"Nowadays you shoot something in the high 60s you're getting lapped. I don' think that's fun to play.

"This is a lot more fun. You shoot a round in the 60s you're going to move up that board and you're going to move up fast."

While Woods was excited about his round, the massive galleries felt they had little cheer about.

The roars that normally echo around a golf course acknowledging a brilliant shot were strangely missing at Pinehurst where polite applause was par for the course.

"There's no roars out there," said Woods. "Think about it, who's going to hole one from off the sides of these greens.

"At Augusta you hear the big eagle roars, you hear these big putts made.

"You don't hear anything out here. Guys are just grinding it out trying to make pars."