UNIVERSITY PLACE, Washington — Rory McIlroy and Sergio Garcia led a chorus of criticism of the greens during the U.S. Open first round on Thursday but former champion Geoff Ogilvy felt that good putters "would prevail".
World number one McIlroy and eighth-ranked Garcia had both described the putting surfaces at Chambers Bay as too bumpy and below par while American left-hander Phil Mickelson bemoaned the lack of consistency in pace from hole to hole.
Australian Ogilvy, however, while agreeing that some of the greens on the links-style layout were "ropey", took the view that PGA Tour players, in general, had become spoilt and should be able to adapt.