Pebble Beach, Calif. ? Tiger Woods was wrong to criticize the Pebble Beach greens as “awful,” USGA executive director David Fay said Saturday at the U.S. Open.

Woods, who won the previous U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 shots by making just about every putt inside 8 feet, failed to make a single birdie in his first round of 74. He said in a television interview, and later to reporters, that the greens were “just awful.”

Woods didn’t back down from that statement following his third-round 66 that left him at 1 under for the championship.

“Well, a lot of players thought the same, they just didn’t say it,” Woods said Saturday evening.

Fay couldn’t resist making a comparison between Woods and Phil Mickelson, who shot 75 in the first round.

“I think two players used the word awful on Thursday,” Fay said. “Phil said he putted awful. Tiger said the greens were awful.

“As far as the greens are concerned, he’s wrong,” Fay said. “That old statement that you’re entitled to your opinion? He is entitled to his opinion, but he’s off on his facts. These putting surfaces have never been better.”