Garcia looks to turn back the clock

There's a pair of former teen titans from Europe battling for their first major title at the US Open.

One is the man of the moment, 22-year-old Northern Ireland boy wonder Rory McIlroy, who fired a six-under par 65 on Thursday to grab the lead after the first round at Congressional Country Club.

The other is Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who challenged for a major crown at age 19 but has reached his 31st birthday still seeking his first major title.

In the first major tournament since the death of Spanish golf icon Seve Ballesteros, Garcia fired a 69 to share fourth after the opening round at Congressional, the same course where he won the 2005 Booz Allen Classic.

Garcia would have shared second had he not taken a bogey at the final hole.

"Overall I think it was a nice round to start with," Garcia said. "There's still a long way to go. We haven't done anything yet."

That has been much the way Garcia's history at major championships has been since he enjoyed a coming out party of sorts at the 1999 PGA Championship, battling Tiger Woods over the final holes before settling for second.

Since then, Garcia has had his moments in majors, with two top-10 Masters finishes, two top-three PGA Championship efforts, two top-fours at the US Open and six top 10s at British Opens, the nearest miss a 2007 playoff loss to Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie.

But this moment carries special significance, given the passing of Ballesteros last month and Europe's woeful recent history at the US Open.

Only two Europeans have won the US Open since 1925, defending champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland last year at Pebble Beach and English star Tony Jacklin in 1970.

Garcia began his bid to add a Spaniard to that list with birdies at the second and sixth and another at 11, the hardest hole on the course in round one. After a bogey at 14, he answered with a birdie at 17 before ending with a bogey.

"Obviously it is disappointing to finish it the way I did after the birdie on 17," Garcia said. "We got fortunate with a little bit of rain so the greens were a little bit softer.

"It's like any US Open -- if you drive the ball well there are going to be some opportunities. If you struggle with your driving then it's going to be a struggle."

Garcia knows about opportunities at Congressional, having taken advantage of some to match Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as the only players to win six US PGA titles by age 25.

Garcia fired a final-round 65 to win the 2005 Booz Allen event by two strokes over Adam Scott and Ben Crane, including a six-under 30 on the front nine that matched the low nine-hole score in Congressional history.

"If I'm confident out there and I try to pick my targets and pick my shots, it works," Garcia said. "If I'm not, then it doesn't matter how well you've done it.

"The ball doesn't have a memory."