71.   So while practice rounds continued at Augusta National Golf Club, thoughts drifted toward Thursday, when the tournament will begin, along with the drama.

72.   The atmosphere at St. Andrews was low key Monday, yet many players were on the course for practice rounds.

73.   The game plan, of course, is formulated during practice rounds, so there they were Tuesday under a blazing sun trying to nail down their distances.

74.   The plan was to water the green, to mow it a little higher and to reduce the traffic walking on the green during practice rounds.

75.   The next day, practice rounds begin at the MasterCard Colonial.

76.   The San Mateo pro, who is competing in his fifth U.S. Open, played practice rounds at Congressional Country Club with John Daly and Fuzzy Zoeller on Wednesday.

77.   The San Mateo pro, who is competing in his fifth U.S. Open, played practice rounds with John Daly, Fuzzy Zoeller, Steve Jones and Tom Lehman.

78.   The severely sloping green has been criticized by many players during practice rounds.

79.   The US team arrived on Monday and played its first practice rounds on Tuesday.

80.   The wind was howling at Royal Birkdale Golf Club Monday, with players wearing ski caps and layered clothing to try to stay warm during practice rounds.