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ROCHESTER, N.Y. - First rounds in the 2003 major championships have not been kind to Tiger Woods, and Thursday was another example.
Woods shot 4-over-par 74 at Oak Hill Country Club, his second-highest score in 25 rounds at the PGA Championship.
He also continued his trend of not breaking par in any opening round at the majors this year and not getting within five strokes of the lead.
Woods was eight shots behind leaders Phil Mickelson and Rod Pampling.
"I just didn't drive very well and put myself under a lot of pressure because of it," said Woods, who declined to speak with reporters and gave an interview to a PGA of America official. "It didn't matter what club I hit off the tee, I couldn't keep (the ball) in play."
Woods, starting at the 10th hole, made his only birdie of the day on the par-4 13th. He followed with consecutive bogeys and had more trouble on the front nine, where he was visibly frustrated with his play. Woods ended his round by missing a 2-foot par putt at the ninth hole.
"I just need a little more trust in my swing," said Woods, who is coming off a tie for fourth at the British Open and a tie for second at the Buick Open. Woods has not finished worse than 20th in any PGA Tour event this year. "I feel pretty good stepping over it, and as soon as I come down I just don't trust it. But that's the way it goes sometimes."
MOVING UP: Two weeks ago Billy Andrade was the seventh alternate for the PGA Championship. But Sunday night he was second. By Monday afternoon he was in the field. And Thursday night, after 67, he was one shot out of the lead.
"I'm tickled to death to be here," he said. "I have to thank Larry Nelson, personally, for having a bad hip. And then my great friend from Japan, (Hidemichi) Tanaka, decided to decline to invitation to play, so I've got to thank him as well.
"I don't know if I believe in fate, but there is a reason why I'm here, why I got in this tournament, and if I'm here, let's try to make the best of this opportunity."
MAJOR TROUBLE: British Open champion Ben Curtis got off to a rocky start in his first major as a major champion. He shot 40 for his first nine holes before settling down to shoot 35 on the back.
"I'll take it after the first four holes," Curtis said. "I just didn't hit it very well. I have to hit more fairways and greens. I need to do better in that. Once I got out there I was comfortable. I just didn't hit many good shots."
MONTY'S WOES: An 82 didn't leave Scotland's Colin Montgomerie in a very talkative mood.
"I made 12 bogeys," he said. "The six pars I made were good, the 12 bogeys weren't so good. I don't know. I'll try again (today)."
TOUGH DAY: Since missing the cut at the Byron Nelson Championship in May, Kenny Perry has been on a roll. He has won three times and finished in the top-10 at each of the seven tournaments he has played, including a tie for third at the U.S. Open and a tie for eighth at the British Open.
But Perry has some work to do to post another top-10. He shot 75, his worst score since the final round of the Wachovia Championship in April.
"It sure got me," Perry said of the course. "I knew those greens were going to speed up, and when you don't have a lot of local knowledge, a lot of experience, you get smoked in a lot of situations. I three-putted three times from about 20 feet behind the hole, and all my lag putts were 15 feet past the hole. It's pretty intense out there."
AROUND THE PGA: Clearwater's John Huston withdrew after a first-round 79, citing back problems. ... Dade City's Tim Petrovic, playing in his first PGA, shot 82. ... Robert Allenby made a hole-in-one at the 226-yard, par-3 11th with a 4-iron. ... Jay Williamson only got into the field Sunday when Davis Love - who already had a spot - won the International. Williamson withdrew citing illness and was replaced by Brian Gay. ... Champions Tour player John Jacobs, who earned a spot by winning the Senior PGA Championship, also withdrew, giving no reason.