Otherwise, they were just another group of players taking dead aim at Medinah.

“No one was walking to the other side of the fairway to avoid the other,” Ogilvy said. “And no one was walking across the fairway to talk to each other, either. It was a typical first day at a major championship.”

None of the three major champions got the most out of a vulnerable Medinah, but they did enough. By the end of the day, they were three shots out of the lead, a solid start toward adding another major title this year.

One positive sign for Woods — he has won his last six majors when opening with a round in the 60s.

Riley tied for fourth in the PGA Championship two years ago to make his first Ryder Cup team, but not even a victory would help him now. He hasn’t had a top-10 finish since Whistling Straits in 2004, meaning he has zero points.

But he’s starting to play well again, which means just as much.

He just never thought 66 would be good enough to be at the top of the leaderboard at Medinah, not on a day like this.

“I don’t know what’s low, but I thought 6-under would have been in the top five,” he said. “I don’t know what place it’s in, but I’m happy with it.”

Slide show   Week in Sports Pictures Flying on the hardwood, racing on the rink, getting physical on the gridiron, and much more. more photos

Love tried to put a happy face on his round, but there was no escaping the triple bogey at No. 17.

He tried to cut a 6-iron over the water, but pulled it into deep rough with a bunker between his ball and a slick putting surface running toward Lake Kadijah.

“If I fly it in the middle of the green, it’s going in the lake,” Love said. “I didn’t have many options.”

He picked the worst one by trying to hit the perfect flop. His sand wedge slid so steeply through the tall grass that the ball didn’t even move — a whiff. He dumped it in the bunker on the next shot, blasted out timidly and two-putted from 12 feet for triple bogey.

“I was one club away from a great round,” Love said. “Other than two or three swings, I wouldn’t change much.”

MORE FROM GOLF

Golf Section Front

Tiger shares Aussie Masters lead Kim wins Kiwi Challenge in playoff Ishikawa 1 stroke back at Taiheiyo Masters Opinion: Lefty, rivals might regret tugging Tiger's tail Tour cards at stake in PGA finale at Disney Ochoa's player-of-year status on the line McIlroy joining the US PGA Tour next year   Montgomerie to lead Europe in 2010 Royal Trophy Ballesteros receives honorary membership at R&A Faldo receives knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II Golf Section Front   Add Golf headlines to your news reader: