UNIVERSITY PLACE, Washington — Washington State native Michael Putnam was a bag of nerves before hitting the first shot at the U.S. Open on Thursday, but hours later he was elated after carding a level-par 70 at Chambers Bay.
Cheered on by his local supporters, Putnam rebounded from a bogey at the tricky par-four first and another at the seventh with two birdies on the back nine to add gloss to one of his most treasured days on a golf course.
"I'm really pleased," Putnam, who grew up in a house less than a mile from the links-style layout adjacent to Puget Sound, told reporters.