Only the ducks and swans homing in from nearby Lake Majore got any satisfaction out of yesterday's Italian golf Open first round which was finally abandoned in late afternoon because of incessant rain.

The abandonment of play left Ronan Rafferty having to postpone his touring comeback for another 24 hours.

With crushing irony, the Ulster professional, winner of this event in 1989 has come to Milan because the weather was so awful at Ascot and he couldn't practise properly.

And he needs to test out his left thumb which has caused him to miss the last three months or more because of `shaved' tendons and ligaments, caused by just wear and tear in his 17-year career.

Yesterday, it was a thumbs-down to his hopes of hitting a ball in anger as Rafferty, and everyone else, was called in after just one hour's play was possible before the Castelconturbia course began to resemble a tributary of Lake Majore. Indeed, he got no further than the first tee.

"This week was supposed to be the big test. It's ironic that I came here to try out the thumb because the weather was so bad at home. I felt I might as well get in at least 36 holes tournament practice and now I might not get any practice here either!"

While Rafferty did not get underway, just one Irishman of the 10 at Castelconturbia did play holes yesterday in the hour before the wait before the subsequent abandonment. He was Des Smyth. He was unhappy with his finish. Given the option of coming in on his fourth green or putting out, with the rain teeming down, Smyth opted for the latter. He three-putted to go one-over.