Those falling behind at Oakland Hills can only pray for rain

Anthony Kim plays his shot out of the sixth green side bunker during the first round of the PGA Championship at Oakland Hills. Kim ended the round with a par 70 and said playing to the middle of the greens is one way to combat a firm, fast course. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Famed golf architect Donald Ross' South Course at Oakland Hills, which Ben Hogan said was a "monster" after he won the 1951 U.S. Open at 7-over par, didn't bare all its teeth during the first round Thursday. It still had plenty of bite, however, despite yielding 16 par or better rounds. Not many players were smiling as they walked off the hilly, par-70 layout that played to 7,378 yards. Collectively, the field averaged 74.82 strokes. Don't expect to see many smiling the rest of the way, either. "I was surprised at how different it was" from Wednesday,... [read full story]