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Tiger Woods plays 9-hole practice round ahead of this week's U.S. Open

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. -- There were more than a few players who scoffed when it was suggested by the man who sets up the U.S. Open golf course that numerous practice rounds would be necessary to succeed at Chamber Bay.

Count Tiger Woods among the believers.

He played a nine-hole practice round late Sunday afternoon at Chambers Bay, and said it seemed like playing 18 holes because of all the different places he felt he had to hit from to continue learning the course.

"There's no way you can play this course blind,'' Woods said. "There is so much information to download. You don't have any chance if you haven't seen this place.''

Mike Davis, the executive director of the United States Golf Association and the person who raised the ire of a few players with his suggestion that numerous practice rounds would be key, was surveying the course Sunday afternoon and loved what he saw.

It was a picture-perfect day, with warm temperatures and wind that would make things interesting if it were blowing in the same direction when the 115th U.S. Open begins on Thursday.

Woods said it was completely opposite of the direction it blew on the days he was here.

An example he gave: On the par-5 eighth hole two weeks ago, he needed driver, 3-wood and wedge to reach the green. Sunday it was driver, 4-iron. At the par-3 ninth -- which can be played with a 110-foot elevation drop -- he hit 5-wood down to the green during his first visit. On Sunday it was a 5-iron.

"All the numbers (yardages) are different,'' Woods said. "It's like being at a different place.''

The ninth is an example of having to learn nearly different holes depending on where the tee is placed. It can be up on a hill down to the green, or it can be a 45-degree angle away, playing uphill. Davis said he will likely use the upper tee once -- but even it has several teeing locations that will offer greatly varying yardages.

Woods, a three-time U.S. Open champion, is coming off his worst 72-hole performance as a pro at the Memorial, where he shot a third-round 85 -- his highest one-round score -- and 302 for the tournament to finish last out of 71 players. His world ranking was expected to drop to 195th.

But you'd have hardly known it Sunday as he played the front nine at Chambers Bay. He spent most of the past week in Florida working with his instructor, Chris Como, who was on hand for the practice round on the links-like layout that borders Puget Sound.

Woods said he will continue with nine-hole practice rounds leading up to the tournament.

"I don't want to walk eight miles each day,'' he quipped.