Golf: Veteran in charge at halted US Open

TULSA - Only at the United States Open would the oldest player in the field have any chance of leading.

The US Open is not about aggression and brute strength. It is about accuracy, patience and course management, which is why Hale Irwin has won it three times, most recently in 1990.

Irwin, at 56, plies his trade these days mainly on the old geezers' tour, but he is still capable of competing with, if not beating, the young pups, as he showed with a three-under 67 in the first round of the US Open yesterday.

One of 66 players to complete the round before a prolonged thunderstorm halted play for the day at Southern Hills, Irwin held the clubhouse lead, although South African Retief Goosen was also three under, after just seven holes.

Goosen will face a one-metre birdie putt at the eighth hole when the first round resumes today.

Japan's Toshi Izawa was two under after four holes.

The best of the other players to complete the round were Americans Loren Roberts and Stewart Cink at one-under 69, while world No 2 Phil Mickelson carded 70.

Defending champion and hot favourite Tiger Woods was three over after nine holes. He still may win, but he is unlikely to repeat last year's 15-stroke record runaway triumph.

New Zealander Michael Campbell was two over the card after completing 12 holes. He began his round with two pars before a bogey at the third when he failed to find the fairway off the tee.

He dropped a second stroke at the par-four 10th when his second shot found the rough.

"I had been playing reasonably well until the stoppage," Campbell said, "but I was just not hitting the fairways. "I missed a number by two to three feet and it's quite penalising when you do.

"You just have to keep the ball on a string around here, but it's too early to be worried about where I will finish the round."

Campbell was unconcerned by the weather delay.

It was not a great day for the three-man Australian contingent. Robert Allenby bogeyed three of his final five holes for a four-over 74.

Stuart Appleby started and finished poorly for an 80, while Peter Lonard was one over after three holes.

Irwin is in his element at his national open.

"My whole career has been defined by US Opens," the 1974, 79 and 90 champion said.

"I think it [US Open] is made for players who have a complete game. It's not how far you hit the ball, but how you control and manage what you have.

"I cannot drive the ball with Tiger, so I play to my strengths and not to someone else's strengths.

"My purpose this week is not to be a ceremonial golfer, it's to be competitive. Just because you turn 40 or 45 or 50, if you're taken care of yourself and still have your skills, you can still do this if your nerves haven't gone.

"Probably the best golf I've played my entire career was in 1997."

Irwin's performance should not be viewed as a surprise. He and Woods were the only players to shoot two rounds in the 60s in last year's Open at Pebble Beach, with Irwin winding up in a respectable tie for 27th.

Eleven years ago, Irwin defeated Mike Donald in a 19-hole playoff at Medinah to become the oldest open champion at 45.

Woods teed off in the afternoon with an errant iron shot, rolling his eyes and smiling weakly as the ball faded into the gallery along the right side of the fairway.

He mumbled an obscenity after his second shot landed short and left of the green, but managed to get up and down for par.

At No 3, however, Woods three-putted from about 40 feet for a bogey.

He never really recovered.

- AGENCIES