MADRID OPEN: American Notah Begay had further proof yesterday that the people who told him the weather in Europe can be awful were not lying.
But it did not stop the former college friend of Tiger Woods from starting the Spanish Open in rain-soaked Madrid with a four-under-par 68.
Only five hours' play was possible on the opening day, but Begay just beat the fading light to set the clubhouse target for the rest of the field, half of whom did not even hit a shot.
Four times a winner on the US Tour before suffering chronic back problems and losing his card, Begay entered the European Tour qualifying school last November and came through it in joint sixth place.
"When I played the US Tour it was rumoured the weather was bad in Europe and I can testify they were not exaggerating," he said.
"Thankfully the food and the service was great because we did a lot of sitting around.
"I also had to play the course blind because my clubs did not arrive until Tuesday night and I was not in the pro-am.
"My sciatic nerve was really bothering me too, but I've just dealt with it the last couple of years and my wife and I are thoroughly enjoying our time over here."
Also four under par, still with holes to play in the morning, are Swede Steven Jeppesen and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.
Ryder Cup pair Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke, both looking for a return to form, finished just after 9pm with scores of 70 and 75 respectively.
Without a top-10 finish all season - in Europe or America - McGinley has just slipped outside the world's top 100.
However, after waiting two hours to begin his round and managing only one hole before another five-hour delay, the 40-year-old Dubliner hardly put a foot wrong on the sodden Centro Nacional course until two bogeys in the last three holes.
Clarke is playing his first tournament since his early exit from Augusta - and since suffering a hamstring injury when his younger son, Conor, tackled him when they were playing football.
He was one under at the turn, but struggled home in 40 with bogeys at both the par fives and the fourth and ninth after starting at the 10th.
David Higgins is on one-under-par 71, Damien McGrane on level-par 72. Peter Lawrie took 76 and amateur Rory McIlroy, after a double bogey at the first, shot 77.
BYRON NELSON: Sean O'Hair shot an opening five-under-par 65 to claim the early lead in the EDS Byron Nelson Championship at Cottonwood Valley GC, Irving, Texas yesterday.
O'Hair leads by one from Brett Wetterich with England's Luke Donald among a group of four on three-under-par.
O'Hair went to the turn in three-under-par 31 and mixed four birdies with two bogeys in a homeward run of 34.
US OPEN: The United States Golf Association has accepted 8,544 entries, including the entries from the 58 golfers who are already fully exempt into the field, for the 2007 US Open, to be played from June 14th to 17th at Oakmont Country Club in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.
The youngest golfer to enter was 12-year-old Brad Nelson of Ponte Vedra, Florida. The oldest applicant was 76-year-old Ordean Olson, a professional from Hollywood, who will turn 77 prior to the championship.
He also was the oldest entrant a year ago. Overall, the USGA received entries from golfers in all 50 states and 62 foreign countries.
