U.S. Open notebook

Australian Adam Scott, ranked No. 3 in the world, shot a 2-over 73 at Torrey Pines' South Course on Thursday. His playing partners were Tiger Woods, who shot a 72, and Phil Mickelson, who had a 71. Woods and Mickelson are ranked 1-2.

Scott's injury was the top topic after his round in front of a huge gallery at the clifftop course overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"Well, it's broken,” he said. "It's not my finger anyway; it's my hand. It doesn't really affect my golf swing, so I'm pretty lucky to be playing.”

Scott, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour, said he broke the bone when a friend slammed his hand in a car door in London in mid-May.

"It's pretty miserable,” he said.

Scott had to balance resting the hand and doing exercises to keep his strength.

"Obviously it hasn't healed yet. It's only been a couple weeks since I broke it. But it's strong enough to where I can play and it's improved a lot in the last five days since I got here. So it's been no problem.”

His grip is one reason he's able to play.

"I overlap, fortunately, because I wouldn't have been able to play if I interlock. It would have been too much stress on it.”

Scott enjoyed being part of the featured threesome, which will play together again today.

"I played with Phil a lot in majors,” Scott said. "It seems like I get drawn with him a lot. But I enjoy playing with Tiger as well. I find it a lot easier to focus because I think I've got to be a little more disciplined. And I felt like I played really well out there today and I really didn't make any putts.”

•Oh no, Angel: Angel Cabrera opened the defense of his Open title with a thud, shooting an 8-over 79. He didn't make his first birdie until the par-5 13th. Cabrera ballooned to 10-over after bogey at the par-3 16th before finishing with consecutive birdies.

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