Tiger Woods is playing solid golf while the other two in the big three struggle. (Getty)

SAN FRANCISCO -- If there were ever three early rounds described by three opening tee shots, it might be the Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Bubba Watson group on Thursday at the U.S. Open.

Ten holes into their rounds, Tiger has played incredibly solid, just like his opening tee shot that split the fairway, while Phil and Bubba have both struggled to get anything going at Olympic Club.

Phil started his bid to win the major championships that has eluded him the most by hitting his tee shot on No. 9 (groups are starting on No. 9 this week instead of No. 10) so far right that the golf ball was lost, even with enormous galleries that are following this threesome. 

Phil walked back to the tee, hit his third shot, but managed to save bogey. Bubba, who has mentioned he doesn't love this golf course because it seems to take driver out of his hands, pulled out the pink-headed G20 but couldn't find the fairway, a theme that plagued him over his opening nine. 

Woods, in typical opening nine form, made a bogey on the 14th after blowing his second shot over the green, but managed to offset it with a birdie on the short par-5 17th, rounding out his front at even par. 

Mickelson continued to struggle, making three bogeys to start, and while a birdie on the tough par-3 13th got the momentum back for a minute, he bogeyed the 16th and couldn't manage a birdie on No. 17. 

The biggest number of the day, however, came from Watson on the short par-4 18th. Just an iron off the tee and a wedge in, Bubba managed to make a double-bogey, and is in full skid mode heading to the front nine. 

For the most part, it has been a pretty U.S. Open feel to the group. The guy that is hitting fairways is making pars, and the guys that can't keep it straight aren't. 

For current golf updates from Olympic Club, follow @shanebacon on Twitter and follow scores on our CBS Sports U.S. Open leaderboard.