Late Start Helps Wood and Horgan

Willie Wood and P.H. Horgan III were each seven-under-par when darkness suspended play of Thursday’s rain-delayed first round of the final CVS Charity Classic at Sutton, Mass.

Mike Springer was the leader in the clubhouse after one round, shooting a six-under 65 on the 7,110-yard, par-71 Pleasant Valley Country Club course. Steve Flesch was five-under and eight golfers were at four-under.

Sixty players in the field of 158 did not finish because of a 3-hour, 42-minute delay because of rain, wind and lightning. But those who started late had the advantage of playing most of their round with soft greens and light wind.

Horgan played only one hole before the break, then came out and birdied his first three holes after that to reach three-under after four. He also birdied Nos. 10, 11 and 13 before dropping a 15-foot putt at the horn to tie Wood.

Wood had played just two holes, parring both, before the severe weather came. He finished his first 10 holes at two-under, then birdied four consecutive holes, adding a birdie at No. 7 to drop to seven-under. He has one hole to play.

Dave Stockton Jr., Guy Boros, D.A. Weibring, Mike Donald, and brothers Lee and Larry Rinker were four-under.

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Lee Westwood had two eagles and six birdies in the first round of the Dutch Open at Hilversum, Netherlands for a course record-tying eight-under-par 63.

And at the other end of the leaderboard, English teenager Justin Rose’s first round as a professional on the European Tour turned sour as he shot a six-over 77.

Rose, 17, who tied for fourth in the British Open last Sunday playing as an amateur, turned pro Wednesday and won a pro-am tournament at Hilversum.

But barring a sensational turnaround, he has almost no chance of celebrating his first pro tournament with a victory and will be hard-pressed to make Friday’s second-round cut.