Irwin shines bright on a gloomy day

By Clifton Brown

TULSA, JUNE 15. The first round of the U.S. Open was suspended by rain, but the most turbulent developments occurred on the golf course.

Who expected Hale Irwin, the oldest player in the field at age 56, to hold the clubhouse lead? Who expected Tiger Woods, trying to win his fifth consecutive major championship, to be six strokes behind, struggling at 3-over par, without a birdie through nine holes and facing a testy 8-foot putt for par at No. 10 when play was suspended?

If there was any doubt that Southern Hills Country Club would be formidable and frustrating, Thursday's abbreviated action provided ample evidence. Justin Leonard, the winner of the 1997 British Open, shot an 8-over 78. Jose Maria Olazabal, a two- time Masters champion, shot 77, while Tom Lehman, ranked No. 11 in the world, shot a 76.

There will be big numbers and big headaches, and with the shaky start by Woods, coupled with the interruption in play, the outcome is hardly a certainty.

Thursday, Irwin seized the moment, playing like a man who had taken a long swig from the Fountain of Youth. Irwin hit superb iron shots, made key putts and smartly avoided trouble, playing the kind of golf that has made him a three-time U.S. Open champion. Closing with a spectacular birdie at No. 18, Irwin shot a 3-under 67 to hold the clubhouse lead when play was suspended at 5 p.m. with 30 threesomes still on the golf course.

Retief Goosen of South Africa was 3 under through seven holes, while Toshimitsu Izawa of Japan was 2 under through four holes.

For Irwin, it was another example of the Open bringing out his best. He won the last of his three Open titles in 1990 at age 45, making him the oldest to win the event. And if his lead holds up, he would be the oldest first-round leader in Open history.

``I'm the oldest first-round leader, I'm the oldest winner, I'm the oldest guy in the field,'' Irwin said. ``What's the common denominator here? Old.

``Age is a number. It doesn't mean you're though. I'm not going to accept the fact that I can't do it. My hope was to be competitive, to establish the credentials. Too many people are saying, `Gosh, you're the oldest guy in the field, you're 56 years old.' But let's not forget there are a few championships and three U.S. Opens to my title. It's not like I've never been there before. I'm going to champion the cause of those of us who are over 50 that don't feel like we're gone.''

Finishing his first round was an advantage for Irwin since the afternoon downpour that dumped more than an inch of rain set up a grueling weekend for most of the field. The first round will resume at 7 a.m. Friday, followed by the start of the second round Friday afternoon. Players who are unable to finish the second round Friday will return early Saturday morning, but the U.S. Golf Association hoped to have the third round completed as scheduled by Saturday night.

Meanwhile, the suspension at 3:39 p.m. local time left the leader board undefined, with players at various stages. Two players completed their first rounds at 1-under 69 - Stewart Cink and Loren Roberts. Those still on the course at 1 under included Shaun Micheel (through 12 holes), Jim Furyk (10 holes), Mike Hulbert (six holes), David Toms (five holes), Bob Estes (four holes) and Skip Kendall (four holes).

But Woods was laboring, hitting stray shots, including a terrible approach at the par-4 No. 9 that hit a tree and plugged into a bunker, leading to a double-bogey six. Woods smiled as he left the ninth green, but it looked like the smile of a wounded boxer, trying to convince his opponent that he was not hurt. While it was far too early for Woods to panic, it was clear he would have to hit the ball more solidly to score on a course like Southern Hills.

By contrast, Irwin's ball-striking was superb, and his round was more impressive because it began with a bogey at No. 1, followed by a bogey at No. 2. A lesser player might have folded right there. But Irwin, who won the Open in 1974, 1979 and 1990, has the game to handle the event, and the courage to excel in it.

``It's made for those players that have a complete game,'' Irwin said. ``It's not how far you hit the ball, but how you manage what you have.''

A 20-foot putt for birdie at No. 3 jump-started Irwin's round, and he followed that with a birdie at the par-4 No. 4, hitting a great 7-iron approach shot 2 feet from the hole. Another birdie, at No. 8 lifted Irwin to 1 under, but his best work came on the grueling back nine. At the par-4, 374-yard No. 10, Irwin hit a superb approach shot, then made the putt for birdie. After a nice 10-foot putt to save par at No. 12, Irwin made a splendid 18-foot putt at No. 14 to reach 3 under, taking his hat off and waving to a cheering gallery.

Irwin made a three-putt bogey at No. 15, but at the par-4, 491- yard No. 16, Irwin made a tremendous par after hitting a poor tee shot into the right rough. With a tree 20 feet in front of him, and another tree 20 feet farther ahead, Irwin hit a low liner between them that missed the second tree by less than a foot. The recovery shot put Irwin back into the fairway, and then, after hitting his next shot onto the green, he made a 25- foot putt for par that kept his momentum going.

``Probably the best putt I made today,'' Irwin said.

After a par at No. 17, Irwin birdied the imposing par- 4, 466- yard finishing hole. After hitting his drive on the right side of the fairway, Irwin hit a masterly 2-iron second shot from 198 yards, a low liner that avoided a tree, landed about 10 yards short of the green, skipped up the hill and came to rest about a foot from the hole. After the tap-in birdie, Irwin acknowledged the cheers from the crowd and considered the possibility of remaining in contention.

When Irwin played in his first Open (1966), Woods was not born yet. However, golf has the beautiful ability to pit one generation against another, and while Woods struggled Thursday, Irwin found inspiration.

``At this point in time, I don't think I'm over my head,'' Irwin said. ``My purpose here this week is not to be ceremonial, it's to be competitive. And I think today established those bonafide credentials.''

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