Tiger Woods' shook off a thunderstorm delay to move quickly up the leaderboard early into the first round of the 84th PGA Championship here today.
The 26-year-old world number one, bidding bid to become the first player in history to pull off the American Slam - winning the Masters, US Open and PGA Championship in the same year - was two-under par after only three holes.
Woods, who began on the back nine, was looking very relaxed. He and caddie Steve Williams got a fit of the giggles on the 17th green and Woods had to compose himself before attempting a birdie putt, which he missed.
Playing partner Ernie Els, brimming with confidence after his victory at the British Open only three weeks ago, was two-under after only two but got himself into trouble and after six holes had slipped back to one-under.
Els and Woods only had time to hit their opening tee shots before PGA officials halted play because of a storm in the area around Hazeltine National.
Woods, Els and defending PGA champion David Toms quickly marched back up the fairway to the clubhouse after marking their balls.
Only 18 of the 52 groups had teed off before the hooter sounded to pull the players off the course.
Officials are taking no chances with storms in the area, fearing a repeat of the 1991 US Open tragedy here.
A lightning strike killed 27-year-old William Faddel and injured five others here on June 13 during the first round of the 91st US Open. People were also killed by lightning two months later at the PGA Championship near Indianapolis.
Play resumed after a delay of nearly three hours but the long stoppage clearly had little effect on Woods or Els.
Davis Love, another forced off the course, took sole place atop the leaderboard when he went to three-under after nine holes.
The former PGA champion bogeyed the first but four birdies in seven holes quickly had him back on track.
Colin Montgomerie, still looking for his first major victory, moved into red figures when he went out in one-under 35.
The burly Scot, who had started at the 10th, drove in to the bunker on the 18th but a great recovery saw him get up and down to keep him well in contention with the early leaders.
Spain's Sergio Garcia, one of the favourites to stop Woods' bid to rewrite the record books, started with two straight pars but he was struggling to stay at level, finding more than his fair share of the bunkers.
Paul McGinley was the only Irishman to take to the course and was one-under after seven holes. Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke still have to take to get started.
AFP