Dan O'Neill

OAKMONT, Pa. - OK, he’s not leading the tournament, not tearing the house down. But after one round of “Tiger Woods’ U.S. Open Do-Over,” the game’s foremost figure isn’t headed to the parking lot, either.

Harken back to one year ago at Winged Foot and the scene was dramatically different. Woods had not touched a club in competition for more than six weeks. He was still getting his head around the loss of his father, friend and mentor — Earl Woods — who succumbed to illness during the same period.

Tiger was at the U.S. Open, but only sort of and only momentarily. Back to back trombones, 76-76, put him back on his yacht and back out to sea. It was the first time in his professional career Woods had the weekend off at a major championship.

“Last year was a complete 180 of where I am now in my life,” Woods, 31, said. “I wasn’t quite ready to play until I got to the U.S. Open, probably not exactly the best tournament to come back to.”

The golf community understood. In most corners, Woods was given a pass for his uncharacteristic showing at Winged Foot. The press and the public chalked up the pedestrian performance to a son coping with the loss of his father, to human nature.

Woods appeared to confirm as much when, given more time to regroup, he won the British Open and the PGA Championship to finish the year. All that remained was this week at Oakmont, a chance to rewind the tape and change the script, a chance to make that scar from last year’s cut fade away.

OK, after one day at watered down Oakmont, he’s not leading the tournament. But he’s not Sergio Garcia, either. Wood’s opening-round 71 on Thursday was five strokes better than his opening farewell last year and just three digits off the pace of leader Nick Dougherty. Woods, who entered the clubhouse tied for 28th, could sit back and watch as he moved up into a tie for sixth by the end of the day.

“On this golf course, it’s fine, it’s right there,” Woods said. “You know, if you shoot even just 3,4 5 over par, you’re still in the tournament and you’ve got to hang in there.

“You know that you’re going to get some bad breaks and some good ones and go along with it. And if you make a mistake, accept the ramifications of it.”

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Oh, he made mistakes. Woods was anything but lights out. He missed five fairways, missed seven greens. He had some awkward moments, including a bogey to start the round. This wasn’t Pebble Beach Tiger, throwing down with a 65. This wasn’t Augusta National Tiger, a green jacket in waiting. But Woods needed only 30 putts to get around the ballpark.

He rebounded from that inaugural boxcar to make birdie at No. 2. He then birdied No. 6 to get into red numbers, much more familiar territory for Sir Eldrick.

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Still, it was not going to be a red-number day. Woods bogeyed the long par 3 at No. 8, made two quick bogeys on 10 and 12 and seemed to be waning at 2 over. But a birdie at 17 put him back on the good foot. This was resilient Tiger, finding a way, in position to pounce.

“That was a nice way to end the round,” he said. “Nos. 16, 17 and 18 were the key to my round, because I ran my putt by about eight feet there on 16, made that. Made a nice up-and-down birdie at No. 17 and a nice par at 18. Basically, I could have lost three shots there, but I was able to keep it as is.”

As is happens to be light years from what was a year ago.

“I had not played a tournament since Augusta,” Woods said, recalling last year’s Open circumstances. “Last year, my father, obviously, passed away in that time frame.

“So this year, I’m going to be a father, you know, shortly. And I think that … it’s a complete polar opposite of where I was last year.”

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Don’t get the wrong idea, this doesn’t mean the Sultan of Swoosh is a lock at Oakmont. He doesn’t roll like that, at least not at most U.S. Opens. Woods has won two of these, nothing to scoff at, to be certain. The Open he captured at Pebble Beach in 2000 was as much of a slam dunk as one gets, a record score, a record margin of victory.

He’s won one of the six Opens since, two of 12 overall. It is the major that has given him the most trouble, if it’s possible to suggest a man with 12 major championships has major “trouble.” That’s a big if. No one is in the Church Pews at Oakmont is praying for Woods.

But he readily admits the national championship is a tough nut to crack.

“It’s not an easy championship,” Woods said. “It’s probably the most difficult championship that we face all year, because you’re tested from tee to green and then you are tested on the greens.

“Generally, if you’re missing one facet of your game, more than likely, you’re not going to win the championship. You have to have everything going your way. And then you obviously have to get a break here and there.”

Tiger Woods might not have everything going his way at Oakmont. But a year after missing the U.S. Open cut, he’s on the right track.