Woods 1-over in umbrella weather

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This article was published 19/06/2009 (6265 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Already played on a long course, the U.S. Open suddenly turned into a long week.

Tiger Woods began his title defence Thursday on soggy Bethpage Black by having his caddie hold an umbrella until it was time to hit his opening drive. Facing a 15-foot birdie putt on the second hole, Woods stepped away so workers could mop up the green with a squeegee. He didn’t finish seven holes before Bethpage was too soaked to continue. Woods was 1-over for the day.

Relentless rain forced the first round to be suspended after only three hours 15 minutes.

No one played more than 11 holes. Phil Mickelson never even made it to the golf course.

And with rain in the forecast the rest of the week, no one was sure when it would end.

The 78 players who got started were to return at 7:30 a.m. today, and if weather allows the first round to finish, the second round would begin immediately until it was too dark to play.

Of the four players atop the leaderboard at 1-under par, Jeff Brehaut was the only one who saw more than four holes. He was on the par-3 third hole, his 12th hole of the round.

Andrew Parr of London, Ont., was the only one of the four Canadians to start his round, sitting 1-under through three.

Even for a short day of work in the rain, it was clear that Bethpage Black would be long and tough from so much rain.

Brehaut’s first birdie came on the par-5 13th when he hit a five-wood for this third shot into 10 feet. He hit fairway metals for his second shot on par fours three other times.

Justin Leonard was through seven holes at even par, despite making three birdies. He hit a four-wood on the 216-yard third hole, and smoked a driver on the 408-yard sixth that travelled only 222 yards in the wind and rain. Leonard then hit four-iron to two feet.

— The Associated Press