The 10th, 11th and 12th holes at Merion Golf Club (Yahoo! Maps/Devil Ball illustration)

ARDMORE, Pa. — You've heard a lot about golfers starting out on the "back nine" during the first two rounds of this year's U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club.

You might know, however, that the "back nine" term isn't technically true. The golfers who aren't starting out on the first hole this weekend are actually beginning their rounds on the par-4, 367-yard 11th hole. For those of you counting at home, that'd be a "back eight."

So why is the U.S. Open operating this way?

Read More »from Why is the U.S. Open ‘back nine’ starting at 11?

You absolutely cannot hit a golf shot more precisely than this. Justin Hicks, on an eagle approach at the 8th, drops his shot directly into the cup. Sweet, huh? He didn't pull a Sam Cassell afterward, though after that approach he'd have the right to do anything he wanted in celebration.

Alas, the eagle has only slightly stopped the bleeding for Hicks. He's about four strokes off the cut line at the midpoint of the second round, and this may end up being his best memory of the weekend.

-Follow Jay Busbee on Twitter at @jaybusbee.-

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• Luke Donald one shot back after first round

Read More »from You will never see a more precise golf shot than Justin Hicks’ bullseye approach

ARDMORE, Pa. — I love the smell of commerce in the morning!

Because I'm a fan of both oversized tents and watching people spend a mortgage payment on logoed event gear, I hit up the U.S. Open's main merchandise area at Merion Golf Club on Friday. My aim was to find the oddest items available for sale, but the absence of one unique collectible was rather conspicuous.

Replicas of Merion's famous red wicker baskets were nowhere to be found. Not for sale. (Getty)Oh, don't get me wrong. The iconic flag alternatives appeared on plenty of merchandise bearing the tournament's official logo, including shirts, hats, golf towels, commemorative posters and even stuffed teddy bears.

But if you wanted to remember the tournament with a red wicker basket, which are

Read More »from The one thing you can’t buy at the U.S. Open (plus a slideshow of the best merch tent items)

Luke Donald is the type of talent you'd expect to contend in major championships, but the U.S. Open sure doesn't seem like the one you'd pick.

Donald has never finished in the top-10 at this event, missing the cut in three of his last six U.S. Open starts (with a WD mixed in there), and while he is a steady player that seems equipped to handle the tough conditions, it's always been his inability to consistently hit fairways that has haunted him at this event.

That doesn't seem to be the case this week at Merion. Donald is driving the ball beautifully, and his short game has been pretty salty as well. An opening round 68 had him trailing Phil Mickelson by a shot, but as he started his second round it seemed he wasn't going to let off the gas.

Donald made a par on his opening hole, a birdie on the 12th and then had this chip you see for a birdie on No. 13. He canned it, moved to 4-under and the outright lead at the U.S. Open.

Read More »from Luke Donald takes the lead at the U.S. Open thanks to this chip-in on Friday

The rough at Merion is serious business. We've gone over it a few times this week, but the USGA made sure that if you missed a fairway this week at Merion, you'd pay the price.

Kyle Stanley found out the hard way on Friday morning during the completion of his first round. Sitting at 2-under with just four holes to go, Stanley made a bogey on the 15th and then came to the par-4 16th trying to right the ship.

That wasn't the case as Stanley's second shot found the extremely high stuff near the green. Stanley tried to hit it out, but failed to even advance the ball at all, having to give it another go on his fourth shot which barely made the green. Stanley eventually made a double-bogey there and finished his opening round at 1-over.

Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Tiger Woods scuffles through first round of U.S. Open
• Rory McIlroy climbs 'Rocky steps' wearing Phillies hat
• Carl Pettersson experiences bizarre distraction in middle of swing

Read More »from Kyle Stanley whiffs a shot during his first round at the U.S. Open

Luke Donald (right) and caddie John McLaren talk on the 16th tee Friday morning. (Getty Images)

ARDMORE, Pa. — Luke Donald did not look like much of a morning person on Friday.

After taking the U.S. Open's overnight lead at -4 with three birdies on his last three holes Thursday night, the 35-year-old Englishman struggled once play resumed at Merion Golf Club. Donald, who had five holes remaining in the round when darkness fell, turned in bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes to finish with a 68 and slip one shot back of clubhouse leader Phil Mickelson.

Despite Friday's finish, Donald has to be pleased with the way he started. He birdied the first hole and then the third, no easy feat considering it's a long par-3 at 246 yards.

"(A birdie on) three is like picking up a couple of shots," Donald said on Thursday. "(I'm) happy with the way I'm playing and giving myself opportunities. I didn't get into too much trouble."

Donald has a quick turnaround for Round 2 and will start from the 11th tee at 10:22 a.m. ET. Being near the top of the U.S. Open leaderboard will be a new experience for

Read More »from U.S. Open: Luke Donald completes first round one shot back of leader Phil Mickelson

It looks like the strangest thing that would happen to Carl Pettersson this week as showing up on the first tee Thursday wearing the exact same outfit as playing partner Francesco Molinari, but oh was that wrong.

Pettersson was in the 5th fairway on Friday, completing his first round, when mid-swing an errant tee shot from No. 2 came rolling right at him, not only disturbing his golf shot but smashing into his ball mid-backswing.

This is definitely not the first time something strange has happened to Pettersson at a major championship. A year ago at the PGA Championship, Pettersson hit a leaf on his backswing, later landing a two-shot penalty for doing so in a hazard.

No penalty was assessed to either player this time around but wow, talk about something I've literally never seen on the PGA Tour.

Pettersson went on to make par on the hole despite the disturbance.

Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
• Tiger Woods scuffles through first round of U.S.

Read More »from Carl Pettersson’s golf ball gets hit by other golf ball mid-backswing at U.S. Open

Tiger Woods — Getty Images

The difference between the U.S. Open and any other golf tournament on the calendar is that at this event, you have a sense of helplessness. The high rough, the fast greens and at Merion, the weather, have all played in to making the afternoon guys on Thursday the group that will regret their draw when this thing wraps up.

Tiger Woods is one of those players that was forced to go out late on Thursday and come out early on Friday to try and complete his first round, and nothing really went right from the start for Tiger.

A three-putt bogey on his first hole of the tournament set the tone, and while he has sprinkled in some birdies throughout his round, including one on the short par-3 13th when play resumed on Friday morning, it's been an uphill climb for the world No. 1.

So what is the difference in Tiger this week, and the one at Memorial, versus the guy we've seen win four times already this season on tour? The short game is the first thing that comes to mind.

Besides this bomb he

Read More »from Tiger Woods struggles with round of 3-over 73 to start his U.S. Open