US Open: Luke Donald leads from Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott as rain suspends play

Luke Donald is the overnight leader after play was finally suspended on day one of the US Open just before 8.30pm local time after several storm interruptions.

Less than two hours into play a storm stopped the tournament for over three and a half hours and play was again suspended late in the afternoon when more rain fell.

Early starter Phil Mickelson was safely in the clubhouse leading on 3-under-par 67 after completing his 18 holes.

He remains the man to catch with England's Luke Donald leading the charge on 4-under after 13 holes.

Scott moved into equal second place on the leaderboard with Micklelson. He birdied the 11th hole before play was called off for the day to move to 3-under.

Scott's 11 holes included four birdies and a sole bogey.

Australians Mathew Goggin and Alistair Presnell are tied in fourth place on the leaderboard on 2-under after six holes along with Webb Simpson.

Tournament favourite Tiger Woods, playing with Scott and Rory McIlroy, was 2-over after 10 holes while McIlroy was even par after 11.

Woods appeared to injure his wrist blasting out of Merion's dense rough.

US Open leaderboard
Mickelson shrugged off an overnight flight scramble to shoot his 67 at Merion.

Mickelson had skipped practice rounds at the course on Tuesday and Wednesday to fly back to California and attend his daughter Amanda's eighth-grade graduation ceremony, then flew back in time to start the Open.

Mickelson thrived on early morning scramble

The airplane landed at Philadelphia at 4:15 in the morning local time and the 42-year-old left-hander reached the course 87 minutes later, well ahead of his 7:11 a.m. tee time.

Seeking a first US Open title after finishing runner-up a record five times, Mickelson then set about tackling Merion's East course, hosting the US Open for the first time in 32 years.

He opened with a bogey at the 11th, but was back on level par before a storm system dumped torrential rain on the course and sent the morning starters scurrying for cover after just 111 minutes of play.

 Phil Mickelson off the tee at the 11th.
PHOTO: Phil Mickelson hits his tee shot on the 11th on the way to a first-round 67 at the US Open at Merion Golf Club. (AFP: Rob Carr/Getty Images)
When the round resumed three hours and 32 minutes later, Mickelson, a four-time major champion, used his supreme short-game skills to added birdies at the first (his ninth), seventh and ninth holes, the last where his putt went in from 30 feet.

His 3-under 67 was his lowest opening round in the US Open since 1999.

It also gave him the clubhouse lead and the luxury of putting his feet up and watching the afternoon starters try to match him, knowing that due to the delay they would be unable to complete their rounds by nightfall.

"I loved having an early tee time," Mickelson said.

"I wish we didn't have the rain delay because it made for a little bit longer day, but the golf course is playing about as easy as it could and yet Merion is really fighting hard.

"We were having a hard time scoring low here. It's so demanding. It's such a great track. It's one of the best I've seen for a US Open."

Of the golfers to complete their rounds big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts was closest to Mickelson, two strokes back after a 69 and he expected to stay near the top of the leaderboard.

At level par 70 were Australia's Jason Day, South Afrian pair Charl Schwartzel and Tim Clark along with Americans Rickie Fowler and Jerry Kelly who had a double-bogey six at the tough 18th.

Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson and Steve Stricker were among those handily placed on 71.

There were early struggles for Sergio Garcia and Padraig Harrington, both of whom had 3-over 73s, while world number four Matt Kuchar disappointed with a 74.