ARDMORE (USA): The horn that suspended play at the US Open also turned out to be the official signal to shop.
Forget Ian Poulter. The real early leader at Merion Golf Club was the merchandise tent – all three of them. Those crackles of thunder led to plenty of ka-chinging at the stores.
Storms were expected in the Philadelphia area for most of Thursday, and when the alert sounded at 8:36am, thousands of fans left their perches in the grandstands and went in search of souvenirs – $45 umbrellas and $27 hats.
”We were so excited but we really didn’t even get to see anything,” said Samantha Jaffee, holding $88 worth of Open items.
All the while, there were announcements on screens and from public safety officials telling spectators to seek shelter; weather warning signs flashed on leader boards around the course.
Englishman Poulter was the early leader at three under par, having birdied his first three holes after teeing off at the par-four 11th.
Belgian Nicolas Col-saerts, South Africans Charl Schwartzel and Tim Clark and American Charley Hoffman were knotted at two under. Colsaerts had competed seven holes, Schwartzel and Clark were through four and Hoffman two.
English world number five Justin Rose had lined up a slick 15-foot downhill birdie putt at the par-four 15th shortly before play was suspended.
Phil Mickelson, runner-up at the US Open a record five times, was at level par after five holes, having offset a bogey on his opening hole, the 11th, with a birdie at the 13th.
The American left-hander had returned to Merion in the early hours of the morning on an overnight flight from San Diego, where he had attended his oldest daughter’s eighth grade graduation ceremony.
Tournament favourite and world number one Tiger Woods was among the late starters, scheduled to tee off with second-ranked Rory McIlroy and Masters champion Adam Scott in the most eye-catching trio of the day. However, Woods and company may not even tee off on Thursday.
As much as three inches (7.6cm) of rain has been forecast for the day, and the club’s iconic par-70 East Course has already been saturated with more than six inches since Friday. (AP)