Suspended Agitation

Neither rain nor sleet nor gloom of night has been able to stop the world’s top golfers from cashing paychecks this year, yet the elements continue to delay deliveries to postage stamp greens.

The 69th Masters started Thursday, not with bird chirps and pond reflections, but with another day of weather-shortened play.

The theme on tour has turned from “Who’ll Stop Vijay?” to “Who’ll Stop the Rain?”

Thursday’s was the ninth drip stoppage in 15 tour events this season and left the first round with a 92-player field scrambling against darkness.

This time, gloom of night won.

The start of first-round play was delayed nearly 5 1/2 hours and suspended at 7:30 p.m.,with only 24 players having completed their opening acts.

Players will finish first-round play this morning, then dig into the second.

Chris DiMarco, Phil Mickelson’s playing partner during last year’s dramatic finish at Augusta National, was four under par through 14 holes, but the leader in the clubhouse was a relatively unknown Australian, Mark Hensby, who completed his round at three-under 69.

“It’s definitely an advantage getting done,” Hensby said.

Luke Donald was three under par through 14 holes, and five players -- including two of the “Big Four” and a Palmer (Ryan) -- were two under and still on the course when play was halted.

DiMarco has a history of fast starts here. He was first after 18 holes in 2001 and second last year.

“I like the golf course,” he said. “It appeals to my eye.”

DiMarco, though, needs to work on his finishes.

He shared the 54-hole lead with Mickelson in 2004 and ended up tied for sixth. He is very aware that this tournament is still in the embryonic stage.

“This is the start of the race,” he said. “This is a marathon. We have a long ways to go.”

Hensby, 33, who once slept in his car during leaner days, said that was nothing compared to his days in the PGA minors, “when you only have $1,000 left in your bank account and you’re on the Nike Tour back in ’97 and you don’t have enough money to play if you don’t play well.”

Hensby says the Masters is a huge deal in his home country, mainly because no Australian has won it -- though darned if Greg Norman didn’t try.

“Do I have the game to do it? I don’t know,” Hensby said. “... To win an event like this, you have to have a lot inside.”

Early precinct reports on golf’s so-called “Big Four” -- five if you count Retief Goosen -- were mixed.

Singh, Mickelson and Goosen were all well positioned at two under when play was suspended. Tiger Woods and Ernie Els faced thornier issues.

Mickelson, the defending champion, had a yo-yo start with a bogey followed by two birdies before settling into a relative calm.

Woods, a three-time Masters champion, talked before the tournament about being on the brink of another breakthrough -- his last major victory was the 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage -- but the only thing he almost broke Thursday was a club.

Woods stood tied for 36th at two over through 12 holes when play was stopped.

How bad was it?

On the par-five 13th, Woods’ long putt for eagle rolled into Rae’s Creek and he ended up making bogey six.

At the par-four first, Woods’ 10th hole of the day -- officials started play off the first and 10th tees in an effort to complete more holes -- his second shot hit the pin and kicked into the greenside bunker. Woods’ was so ticked he javelin-chucked his iron.

He then flew his sand shot well past the hole and two-putted for bogey.

Els, who has not finished worse than sixth here since 2000 and last year suffered an agonizing one-shot loss to Mickelson, was three over through 11 holes on a day when his body language did not exude confidence.

Els, though, played like Ben Hogan in his prime compared to 73-year-old Billy Casper, the 1970 Masters champion, who shot a weekend hacker’s 34-over 106.

Casper’s score was the worst, by 11 shots, in Masters history, but it will not count because he did not turn in his scorecard and was allowed to withdraw because of a back injury.

Casper’s lowlight was the 14 he carded on the par-three 16th hole, knocking five tee shots into the drink before finding dry land.

Other first round work-in-progress was the continuing saga of six-time winner Jack Nicklaus, who debated whether to play this year after the death of his young grandson last month.

Nicklaus, clad in blue cap and mustard-yellow sweater, delighted patrons with his precision-placed opening drive on the par-four first hole. He scrambled to save par there, rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt on the par-five second hole and was holding his own at four over through 12 when he play was stopped.

Nicklaus, however, will have to play 24 holes today.

“I have trouble walking 18,” the 65-year-old Nicklaus said. “But I’m going 24. I’ll be fine.”

Rain struck Augusta at 6:50 a.m. and dropped 1.26 inches in the next six hours, postponing the first tee time until 1:30 p.m.

As for the weather wreaking havoc on tour events, the players’ response is, what’s new?

Weather this year has already forced three tournaments to finish on Monday. The Masters is hoping it doesn’t become the fourth.

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Leaderboard

First-round scores of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Course. Only 24 of 93 players finished the round. Today’s coverage is on USA, beginning at 1 PDT.

LEADERS

*--* Player Through To Par Chris DiMarco* 14 -4 Mark Hensby F -3 Luke Donald* 14 -3 Ryan Palmer* 16 -2 Retief Goosen 13 -2 Vijay Singh 11 -2 Stuart Appleby 11 -2 Phil Mickelson 11 -2 Chris Riley 15 -1 Thomas Levet* 15 -1

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OTHERS

*--* Player Through To Par Padraig Harrington 14 E Adam Scott* 11 E Mike Weir 13 +1 Tiger Woods* 12 +2 Justin Leonard 12 +2 Davis Love III* 14 +3 Ernie Els* 11 +3 Sergio Garcia 10 +3 Jack Nicklaus 12 +4 Billy Casper* F +34

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*-denotes player started on 10th hole