Tiger gives glimpse of human side

In his last four majors, there has been an air of infallibility about everything Tiger Woods has done. Yesterday, in the 101st US Open here at Southern Hills, it only took his first teeshot - pushed into the right rough - to prove that, like the other 155 players in the field, he is made of flesh and blood.

So, when the arrival of a vicious thunderstorm, with the added possibility of a tornado, halted play just over two hours later - thereby shortening his off-day and offering the chance to regroup - Woods was probably the most relieved player of all. At that stage, he stood three-over-par and facing a ten-foot clutch putt on the 10th green to stay that way.

When the siren sounded, there were 90 players still to complete their rounds. The last three-ball, indeed, had only made it as far as the second teebox and, with almost two inches of rain falling in just over an hour, and the threat of further bad weather, officials finally took the decision to suspend play for the day.

Not that 56-year-old tour veteran Hale Irwin was unduly bothered. While Woods may currently possess every piece of major silverware, Irwin is one up on Tiger in that he has captured three career US Open titles. He has also proven his place in the field - thanks to his win in last year's US Seniors' Open - was no token gesture. His three-under-par 67 established the clubhouse lead and, of those out on the course and unable to complete their rounds, only South African Retief Goosen was making inroads.

Goosen had joined Irwin on three-under and restarts his round today on the eighth green with a three-foot birdie putt to take the lead.

It was a day of surprises, in fact, and not just because of Irwin's place at the top of the leaderboard. The first came shortly after dawn when the unbearably hot weather that had left players flagging in practice was replaced with significantly cooler temperatures, and a stiff wind - that swirled through the trees - put an even greater emphasis on proper club selection.

The biggest surprise of all, though, was Woods' play. The confidence evident in the practice rounds was replaced by uncertainty. He failed to find either of the first two greens in regulation and had to scramble for pars. On the third, he suffered a three-putt bogey; and, then, on the ninth, he suffered a double bogey six.

After a perfect drive there, Woods got a bit too greedy and went at the flag which was placed just four yards in from the right edge. His approach hit a tree and finished up plugged in a greenside bunker where he could only see the top of the ball. It was an impossible shot, even for Woods. His bunker shot overshot the green and finished up in thick rough and his recovery finished eight feet from the hole. He missed the bogey putt, and turned in 38.

Others were having problems too. Bernard Langer was coasting along at three-under when he suffered a double bogey seven on the 13th and followed up with a bogey on the next. He was almost happy to sign for a 71. Then there was Vijay Singh who was moving along steadily until he suffered three successive bogeys from the eighth, eventually signing for a 74. He wasn't alone. Gary Nicklaus had the ignominy of finishing with five bogeys, while Jose Maria Olazabal's challenge was ruined by a string of four bogeys from the eighth.

The two Irish players weren't immune either. Darren Clarke had three consecutive bogeys from the third which, added to his dropped shot on the opening hole where he drove into a fairway bunker, put him at fourover after just five holes. He eventually recovered somewhat to sign for a 74 but was in no mood to talk afterwards, while Padraig Harrington - who had been so steadyd - had back-toback bogeys at the 15th and 16th on his way to a 73.

"It's more than just playing your game, this is a course that tests you mentally," explained Sergio Garcia, who birdied the final hole for a 70. "In a major, if you start hitting a couple of bad tee shots, you can put too much pressure on yourself. You've just got to calm yourself down when that happens."

Indeed, it's a sign of Garcia's growing maturity that he wasn't unduly perturbed by what he described as some "weird things" happening, like the ball landing in the middle of the 16th fairway only to kick left into the rough. Such a fate is part and parcel of playing in a major championship, and Irwin, more than most players, has been around long enough to know that. Yesterday, he turned back time and, although only finding eight of 14 fairways, his scrambling - and putting, he only used the blade on 27 occasions - enabled him to top the leaderboard.

Loren Roberts, who played in the same three-ball, wasn't surprised. "Look at him. I don't know if he is genetically blessed, but he's never hurt. And he is a control player. That's what you have to do out here."

Phillip Price has withdrawn from the US Open because of an undisclosed illness. The Welshman had bogeyed the last three holes he had played, going to seven-over-par after 14 holes.