In the rain-drenched circumstances, Brian Davis, a Londoner based in Florida, surprised even himself by leading the Alfred Dunhill Championship at four under par after an opening day when play started five hours late and was suspended early for bad light with roughly half of the field still on the course.
The 25-year-old Davis, who had been due to tee off at 6.30 a.m. here at the Houghton Club, started at around noon after more than four inches of overnight rain. Still rusty, he bogeyed the first and the last, but in between had six birdies to finish with a creditable 68.
Irish tour debutant James Loughnane managed to complete six holes before darkness called a halt, and was lying at two over par. Paul McGinley was one over after three, while Gary Murphy was unable to even start his opening round on the European Tour.
After two perfect practice days a downpour which might have sent Noah on his way to the carpenter saw play get under way with rain still falling and two bunkers declared to be ground under repair. Perhaps the damp air was only fitting, though, for the opening day of the European Tour.
Davis' 68 gave him a one-shot lead over Scotland's Gary Orr, England's Philip Golding, the American Ronnie McCann and an Italian, Marco Gortana.
"Playing in these conditions, especially in the first tournament and my first competitive round after three months in Florida, was really tough," Davis said. "(But) last year I felt I played really well and shot two over; now I'm still not really happy and shot four under.
"I was up at 4.30 this morning and had to sit around just eating, which is what I normally do, and sleeping in the locker-room.
"The thunderstorm woke me up last night and when I saw the rain I was very surprised that we could play. There were some points on the fifth hole where the water was running down the fairway, but apart from that it was not too bad.
"The key was being patient with myself. We're all perfectionists and everyone loses their temper sometimes, but I'm getting older and I've learnt it does you no good at all."
McCann, one of Davis' practice partners, divides his time between caddying on the US Tour and playing a variety of lower-level events but is currently helping set up a new clothing range with his friend of 15 years, the rather more famous John Daly.
McCann said: "John and I are looking at launching a new line. A couple of years ago John beat Tiger Woods in a long-driving contest and Chi Chi Rodriguez nicknamed him The Lion, because lions eat tigers.
"So we've come up with a lion logo for John. It's just a way of getting his name out there, because he gets such negative press and he deserves better."
On the course the South African-born McCann rode his luck. At the second he made a 30-foot putt from off the green and at the par-four 13th he holed a wedge from 40 yards after "hitting a three-iron in the belly".
Two holes later he made a 50-foot putt for a birdie two and said: "The ball was travelling when it hit the pin. If it had missed it would have ended up in Soweto."
The favourites had a mixed day. Ian Woosnam and his playing partner David Frost shot one-under-par 71s, and Retief Goosen had a solid 72.
The 78 players unable to finish and six unable to start are due back at 7.0 a.m. today, but more rain is forecast and this curtain-opener of an event may turn out to be a three-round overture.
