2010 U.S. OPEN BLOG: YOUNG GUNS SHINE, AND THEY'RE ASIAN

Major tournaments bring a new complexion to the game of golf. This is when the stars make their mark as they shape, hone and manipulate their games to peak at the four big tournaments of the year. Much ballyhoo has been made before the first tee shot was hit at Pebble Beach Golf Links this week. Would one of the promising young pros step up and take over from Woods, Mickelson and company?

Sure, McIlroy, Villegas, Kim, and Fowler has made the headlines over the last few months, but after the last putt dropped on a cloudless Thursday at Pebble, the two young golfers who really stepped up to the plate (to use an American phrase...this IS after all the US Open) were Ryo Ishikawa and (egads!) Noh Seung-yul (left) of Japan and Korea respectively.

Ryo shot a solid 1-under first round, while Seung-yul, a stalwart (at the "ripe" age of 19) on the Asian Tour, shot a 3-over to stay in decent position to make the weekend cut. McIlroy and Villegas? McIlroy shot a 4-over and Villegas is dangerously close to missing the cut with his 7-over score.

The day was benign meteorological-wise, but the US Open setup on a course with very small, hard-to-hit greens demand accurate approach shots with just the right amount of spin. This is a course that you can't quite over-power, but have to be precise and in possession of a very good short game. Of course, understanding the wind and some experience of the course really helps. This all makes Ryo and Seung-yul's performance thus far pretty impressive.

Of course, there's a lot of golf left to play. But there is no shortage of Asian presence in this year's tournament. K.J. Choi, Y.E. Yang and Arjun Artwal are all positioned to make the cut if they don't succumb to Friday afternoon's fickle weather. And my bet is that our man from Thailand, Thongchai Jaidee (who ended 3-over on Thursday) should put in a solid round to stay around in the weekend.

All this makes for a fantastic tournament, from an Asian perspective, and one that we'll keep you updated on daily right here from the gorgeous grounds on the Monterrey Peninsular.

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