Watson retains Open touch

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Another first round of an Open, another terrific day for Tom Watson.

With memories from his surprising performance at Olympia Fields still vivid, Watson shot a 5-under-par 66 to take a three-stroke lead after the rain-shortened opening round of the U.S. Senior Open at Inverness Club on Thursday.

A thunderstorm suspended play with 36 of the 156 players still on the course. The first round will be completed this morning. The second round will start as scheduled.

Bruce Lietzke was alone in second after a 69. Mike McCullough and J.C. Snead were the only other players to break par, each with a 70.

Two weeks ago, Watson electrified the U.S. Open galleries by shooting a 65 to share the lead after the first round.

This round lacked the emotion of that one. There were no hugs with ailing caddie Bruce Edwards, just an occasional exchange of fist pumps after another long birdie putt found the hole.

Watson parred his first three holes and then started rolling. Up against the heaviest rough on the 13th hole (his fourth hole), he hit the ball with the blade of his pitching wedge and holed it from 15 feet.

On the next hole, he made a 45-foot putt with a big right-to-left break for another birdie. He made it three in a row with another tilting 25-footer.

Watson made two bogeys coming home on the front side, but offset them with four more birdies -- including a 25-foot putt at No. 1 and a 35-footer at No. 5.

Winner of five British Opens, two Masters and the 1982 U.S. Open, Watson is winless in three tries at the Senior Open.

St. Jude Classic

Jay Haas and Darron Stiles shot 7-under-par 64s Thursday and shared a one-stroke lead in the suspended first round of the rainy St. Jude Classic.

Play stopped twice because of rain at the TPC at Southwind course, and more rain and darkness kept 56 golfers from finishing the round.

-- From wire reports