2012 U.S. Open: Tiger Woods within striking distance as Phil Mickelson struggles "It was impressive," Mickelson said. Woods did not lead at the end of the Open's long first day. Michael Thompson, a typical who-the-heck-is-that U.S. Open front-runner, held the advantage as the afternoon wave of players trudged around because he shot a 4-under-par 66 in the morning. But Woods's presence was inescapable, because his 69 on a tight and tricky layout - a score matched by 45-year-old David Toms - included scarcely an errant shot and had all the markings of Woods in his prime. "I felt very pleased with every facet of my game today," Woods said. Rough translation for the rest of the field: Watch out. "That was the old Tiger," Masters champion Bubba Watson said. That was beautiful to watch. That's what we all come to see. Among those Woods dusted on Thursday were his playing partners: Mickelson, who was in as many galleries as fairways en route to 76; and Watson, who looked disinterested at times during a 79. Olympic's opening six-hole stretch played as difficult as advertised, yet Woods navigated that set in 2 under. More than anything, he kept himself from being one of the marquee players who will enter Friday's second round more concerned with the cut line than the lead. "I've always preferred the conditions to be difficult," Woods said. They were difficult for everyone else, too, with the possible exception of Thompson. He has never won an event on the PGA or Nationwide tours. This is just his third major, his first as a pro. "Feeling really calm and relaxed," he said. Really? Thompson is 27, lives in Birmingham, Ala., was an Eagle Scout and has played in only one previous U.S. Open, but is extraordinarily comfortable here. Five years ago, he advanced all the way to the finals of the U.S. Amateur at Olympic, and though he narrowly lost to Colt Knost, he wanted badly to return for this event. He gained entry June 4 by placing second in the sectional qualifier at Rockville's Woodmont Country Club, a 36-hole day that may have been more pressure-packed than Thursday. "I teed it up that day really wanting to qualify," Thompson said, "but at the same time really not having a whole lot of confidence in my abilities." That changed in between rounds at Woodmont, where Thompson wolfed down a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then smashed 6-irons on the range in hopes of putting behind a morning 74. He responded with a 68 in the afternoon and flew to Olympic to begin practicing last Friday. He is even staying with the same host family - on San Francisco's zig-zaggy Lombard Street - with whom he roomed five years ago, and he built more confidence over the weekend. That confidence after his opening round - including a stretch from Nos. 11-15 in which he made five 3s in a row, and a 10-footer for birdie at 18 - is now soaring. "I don't give up very easily, and I'm proud of that," Thompson said. Give Tiger the spotlight. I don't care. There are so many willing to oblige. Woods's first shot stung down the ninth fairway - an odd place to start, but one made necessary because Olympic's eighth hole comes back to the clubhouse, and the ninth runs away - and it served as simply a preview. Much of the talk prior to the tournament centered around Olympic's demand on players to shape the ball both left-to-right and right-to-left because that would be the only way to consistently hold the course's sloping fairways. The consensus, from those who saw it up close: "He hit every shot shape he was trying to hit," Watson said. I didn't see any bad shot, really. "He's playing really well," Mickelson added. Had really solid control of his flight, trajectory, the way it curved. Woods hit only three drivers all day, but frequently stung and cut hybrids and irons off the tee. With Mickelson and Watson flailing all around him, he made the first of two bogeys at 14 (his sixth hole), but birdied the par-5 17th to get back to even, missed a slippery four-footer for birdie at 2, then finally got under par with an eight-footer at 4. He buried a 30-footer for birdie at 5 - "a fluke," he said, and had it not hit the hole, it might have run well by. A poor approach into a bunker at 6 led to a bogey, but after a tap-in par at his last hole, No. 8, he could scarcely be displeased, even after a grind of a day. "It does wear on you," Woods said, "because there's no let-up." He was speaking about the course. It's possible, though, that is an apt preview for what's to come over the weekend. Woods, when he plays like this, can wear on opponents, and there is just no let-up.