ESPN.com - Golf Online - US Open Men 2000

ESPN Golf Online
Saturday, June 17

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. -- They all came calling on the eighth hole Saturday. Sixty-three players came to the toughest hole at the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

8 At A Glance
Avg.	4.825
Rank	1
Eagles	0
Birdies	1
Pars	22
Bogeys	31
Doubles	7
Others	2

And one left with a birdie. Two couldn't even manage a double bogey. Only 14 hit the green with their second shots. The 22 who made par considered themselves fortunate.

Pebble Beach growled Saturday afternoon. And the eighth hole led the way.

"Seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 and 12 -- that loop there is probably the toughest stretch on the golf course, and I think I played it at even-par today," said Ernie Els, who had the long birdie at the eighth. "That was the key to my good round."

The eighth was the beginning of the end for plenty of others. Even Tiger Woods bogeyed the hole. So did Miguel Angel Jimenez, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and John Huston. Michael Campbell, who shot 71, took a double-bogey.

Eights went on the cards of Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie, who left his approach short and fought to get up the bank on the right-hand side of the green.

"I had a couple of goes," Montgomerie said. "I saw (Jesper) Parnevik this morning miss it, so I did better than he did. At least I made contact."

When the wind blows at Pebble Beach, the first sign of trouble is No. 8. The ninth hole played equally tough -- only two birdies there. The 10th hole was the third-toughest on the course.

"On the oceanside holes, you'll be really lucky to make one or more pars," said Nick Price, who made two relatively early in the round.