Luke Donald returns to Merion today in the lead of the 113th US Open as playing partner Lee Westwood looks to recover from a unique stroke of bad luck.
Donald birdied the 11th, 12th and 13th before play in the first round was suspended for the day due to darkness after two delays for bad weather totalling more than four and a quarter hours.
That gave the world number six a one-shot lead over five-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson, who had completed an opening 67 to set the clubhouse target, with Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (69) the only other player to complete a sub-par round.
Westwood had been sharing the lead until Donald’s late scoring burst when his third shot to the par-four 12th clattered into one of the wicker baskets used at Merion instead of a standard flag and rebounded back off the front of the green.
Westwood later tweeted: “So much tradition at merion to talk about … like those delightful wicker baskets!”
That led to a double-bogey six and left Westwood one under par ahead of the scheduled 7.15am restart on Friday morning, while Rory McIlroy was level par, Masters champion Adam Scott three under and Tiger Woods two over after 11 holes.
Donald, who has yet to register a top-10 finish in the US Open, said: “I’ve obviously got five holes left and five pretty tough ones to finish, but I’m really happy with the way I started my round. I’m excited to get off to a great start.”
Mickelson had flown home to California on Monday after torrential rain saw the course closed in mid-afternoon, and then attended his daughter’s eighth-grade graduation on Wednesday evening before flying back in time for his 7.11am tee time on Thursday morning.
He landed in Philadelphia at 3.30am in his private jet and was at the course at 5.40am, only to start his round from the 11th with a three-putt bogey.
However, he birdied the 13th and was level par when a thunderstorm and torrential rain caused play to be suspended for more than three and a half hours, and when it did resume the four-time major winner picked up birdies at the first, seventh and ninth to card an opening three-under-par 67.
“If I’m able, and I believe I will, to ultimately win a US Open, I would say that it’s great,” Mickelson said of his relationship with the tournament. “But if I never get that win, then it would be a bit heart-breaking.”