U.S. players eye Ryder Cup

Contenders for American team mostly falter in first round

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICH. -- This was the time for American players on the bubble for making the Ryder Cup team to make a statement. It wasn't what Hunter Mahan had in mind.

Mahan is 10th in the standings -- only the top eight qualify after the PGA Championship -- and he got off to a rugged start with a double bogey. It didn't get much better. He had a triple bogey on the fourth hole and shot 42 on the front nine. His round ended with one last bogey for an 81, the highest score of his career.

Woody Austin, who is at No. 9, went out in 40 while playing in the afternoon and finished at 79.

D.J. Trahan (No. 11) opened with a 72, while Zach Johnson (No. 13) had a 76. The most impressive performance came from Sean O'Hair, who won in Tampa earlier this year and is No. 14 in the standings.

O'Hair was atop the leaderboard most of the morning and finished with a 1-under 69.

"It's in the back of my mind," O'Hair said. "I really want to play on the team, but thinking about it would get in my way. It almost would make me try too hard to get on the team. So if I just focus on what gets me to play well, it will me get on the team. And if I do get on the team, it will help me play well in the Ryder Cup."

U.S. Open runner-up Rocco Mediate, who was at No. 12 and has captain Paul Azinger's attention as a possible pick, played in the afternoon and shot a 3-over 73.

Azinger will select four players as captain's picks.

A TOUGH TEST: Paul Goydos found Oakland Hills to be as tough as any test in golf. But his exam wasn't over after he made par on his final hole for a 74. Two officials escorted him to the locker room for a drug test.

Drug testing on the PGA and European tours began in July, although this was the first time at a major championship.

Moments later, Anthony Kim was escorted to the clubhouse for his drug test after a 70.

"I was ready. It took 10 minutes," Goydos said.

CHANGE IN PLANS: Having parted ways with his caddie, Steve Stricker's plan for the summer was to use veteran looper Jimmy Johnson for a couple of tournaments, then use wife Nicki at the PGA Championship. A good player, she caddied for him early in his career before having children.

But then Stricker wound up in the hunt for the Ryder Cup, and everything changed. Johnson is still on the bag.

"She pulled herself out," Stricker said of his wife. "I've been on that Ryder Cup bubble, and she thought the last thing we needed was for her to come here on the bag and be a story and take away from all that. She did it. She said this was not a good time for it."

Stricker needed a good round, and he got one with a 71. He is No. 8 in the Ryder Cup standings.