PGA champion Yang early leader at US Open

Jun 16, 2011, 18:58 GMT

Bethesda, Maryland - South Korean YE Yang was the early leader in the club house in Thursday's first round at the US Open being played at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.

Yang, who won the PGA Championship in 2009, carded a three-under 68 for a one-shot lead from Open Champion South African Louis Oosthuizen and American Ryan Palmer.

Rain early in the morning made the course - which is playing as the second-longest-ever in the history of the US Open - difficult to play.

Yang birdied the four par-threes and the par-five sixth, but dropped two shots on the back nine.

Oosthuizen, who last year sensationally won the Open, said that he had played with a lot of patience. 'The weather this morning was nearly perfect, but the wind picked up a bit towards the end.

'I drove it really well and I made a lot of birdies.

'There are a lot of birdies out there, but the bogies are always lurking around the corner. You are going to get punished for a bad shot, big time.'

Defending champion Graeme McDowell was two off the pace with a one-under par 70. 'I was pretty happy with that. I rolled the ball well, positioned the ball very well.

'My only boogie was on the first hole and I would have been happy to pick up more birdies, but I am happy with the round.

'You have got to drive the ball great to stand a chance here.

'I feel really, really good about this week. It has been a great 12 months and I am happy to hand back the trophy and look towards what I want to achieve now.'

The world's top three players - Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer, who are playing the first two round together - did not have it their own way, with Donald and Kaymer finishing their round on three-over, while Westwood was a further shot behind.

In the injury-forced absence - for the first time since 1996 - of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson is carrying much of the American hopes, but Lefty had the worst-possible start with a double bogey on his opening hole - the 10th.

He birdied the 12th, but then dropped another shot on the 14th to be two-over after five.

Read more about Golf USOpen