Rare Eagle Spotted On No. 9 U.S. Open Notebook

The first eagle of the U.S. Open - and the only one in Thursday’s first round - came from Dennis Trixler, who holed a pitching wedge from 122 yards at the par-5 9th.

The ball landed two yards from the hole, bounced once and rolled in.

“My only thought was that the wind was right to left,” said Trixler, an 18-year pro from San Mateo, Calif. “And I could probably go for the pin because if I pushed it a little bit right, the wind would aid the shot. I hit it perfect, it stayed straight, and I got lucky.”

The 607-yard hole is one of the longest holes in U.S. Open history - even Tiger Woods doesn’t try to make the green in two shots. Nevertheless, it was rated the easiest hole on the course Thursday, with the average score hovering just a fraction over par.

Trixler teed off with a 5-wood, then used the 5-wood again to set up his thrilling shot. On the day, he shot a 74.

Wiebe trying to adjust

Four days after an agonizing second-place finish at the Kemper Open, Mark Wiebe thought he had put things back in perspective.

Yes, he still thought he was a good putter; no, he didn’t believe he would never make another short putt.

Wiebe even cut short his practice round on Wednesday to take his wife and three children sightseeing in the nation’s capital - the Washington Monument, the White House and the Lincoln Memorial.

But Wiebe quickly discovered it would not be so easy to forget his collapse on Sunday, when he missed putts of less than 3 feet on the 17th and 18th hole and finished a shot behind Justin Leonard.

On the second hole Thursday, he slid a 12-foot birdie attempt 2 feet past the hole, and as he walked toward it he heard a spectator say, “I saw him miss two of those last week.”