August 17, 2002	Saturday	Jamadi-us-Saani 7, 1423

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CHASKA (Minnesota), Aug 16: Jim Furyk and Fred Funk grabbed a share of the first round lead at the US PGA championship Thursday but were being stalked by Tiger Woods who struggled but left himself well positioned to claim his third major of the season.

With a field comprised of 99 of the world’s top 100 ranked golfers teeing off, Funk and Furyk chased by Australian Peter Lonard and Briton Justin Rose were four names not expected to feature on the leaderboard at the Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Funk, a 46-year-old Tour veteran with five career wins, had failed to qualify for any of this year’s three previous majors while Furyk, owner of one of professional golf’s most unorthodox swings, had not made the cut at the Masters, U.S. and British Opens.

But the two Americans turned sizzling back nines into matching four-under 68s and a one shot lead over Rose, a player competing in his first U.S. event and Lonard, who was forced from the sport for two years after contracting Ross River Fever, a mosquito carrying virus that damages the eyes.

Bidding to become the first player to win three of the year’s four majors in a single season for a second time, Woods struggled with his driver through an inconsistent opening round but still finished just three shots off the pace with a one-under 71.

The world number one birdied the 11th and 12th — his second and third holes of the day — to move into early contention but consecutive bogey-fives at the 18th and first dragged him back to par before he recovered with a birdie at the par-three fourth.

The 84th PGA got off to a stuttering start when lightning and heavy rain forced a suspension in play of almost three hours.

Sirens had blared across the monstrous 7,360-yard, par-72 layout shortly after Woods had fired his opening shot, sending golfers and spectators scurrying for cover.

Cautious PGA officials were quick to sound the alarm for severe weather after a lightning strike killed one spectator and left five others hospitalised at Hazeltine during the 1991 U.S. Open’s first round.

The six had been sheltering under a tree on the edge of the 16th fairway during a thunderstorm.

Since then, severe weather-detection systems have been upgraded for all PGA Tour events.

Because of the delay 39 golfers, including Americans Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Briton Lee Westwood were unable to complete their rounds.

Standing between Woods and the leaders are four other players, twice U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen, 1997 U.S. PGA winner Davis Love III, Jeff Sluman, the 1988 PGA champion and Mark Calcavecchia all jammed together at two-under 70.

Australian Greg Norman, twice a PGA runner-up in 1986 and 1993, and South African Retief Goosen, the 2001 U.S. Open champion, are also at two-under with three and four holes to be completed.

British Open champion Ernie Els, playing with Woods on the day, struggled after a birdie-birdie start to card a level-par 70 while defending champion David Toms, the final member of the group, crashed to an opening 77.

Leading completed first round scores

68 Jim Furyk, Fred Funk

69 Peter Lonard, Justin Rose

70 Lee Janzen, Davis Love III, Jeff Sluman, Mark Calcavecchia

71 Tom Lehman, Steve Lowery, Angel Cabrera, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, Nick Faldo

72 Pierre Fulke, Tim Clark, Craig Perks, Rocco Mediate, Steve Elkington, Jose Coceres, Ernie Els, Toshimitsu Izawa, Neal Lancaster, David Gossett, Nick Price, Justin Leonard.