Afternoon is no delight at Oakmont

No one was calling Oakmont Country Club “Old Softy,” although the first morning of the 107th U.S. Open had to be described as almost forgiving.

Then, it quickly reverted back to forget-about-it.

A tournament-eve thunderstorm produced enough rain (four-tenths of an inch) to take some of the punch out of Oakmont’s gloves and allowed two red scores to infiltrate the first-day leaderboard Thursday.

Nick Dougherty, trying to become the first European to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970, leads the field after his bangers-and-hash round of two-under-par 68.

The 25-year-old Brit holds a one-shot lead over Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, who shot a 69.

Dougherty teed off at 7:33 local time; Cabrera at 8:28.

They were the only players to shoot under par.

Bubba Watson and Jose Maria Olazabal are two shots behind after shooting 70s. They both ordered sunrise room service.

“I think we had it as good as it could be,” Dougherty confessed of conditions.

The top four scores, and 13 of the top 20, were fired on morning starts.

Dougherty was even through 12 holes before birdies on Nos. 13 and 17 pushed him to two under.

Tiger Woods, a two-time U.S. Open winner, and defending champion Geoff Ogilvy lead a gaggle of golfers three shots back at 71.

Phil Mickelson, playing despite an injured left wrist, flogged his way to a 74 as he fought a steel-cage death match against Oakmont’s outer reaches.

Grimacing his way through 18 holes, Mickelson might have shot eight or 10 over if not for his deft short game and scrambling talents.

He hit only five of 14 fairways but proclaimed afterward he could win the tournament if he made only pars from here on out.

“I think I’m below the winning score,” Mickelson said of his four-over standing.

And the wrist?

“I wouldn’t say it’s painful,” he said. “But it’s annoying, I would say.”

Woods seeks his 13th major championship and was downright relieved to be only three shots behind Dougherty.

He saved his round when he made par at the 16th by rolling in an eight-foot putt, birdied the short 17th and then made an up-and-down par at the 18th from the rough.

“I could have lost three shots there,” Woods said.

Woods, who missed the cut last year at Winged Foot in his first event after the death of his father, said Wednesday night’s rain softened the course and made conditions ripe for low scores.

But few took advantage.

“It’s as soft and receptive as you’re possibly going to have it, and not too many of the guys are taking it to the golf course,” he said.

Oakmont took its share of prisoners. David Toms got to three under through 10 holes but then played the last eight at five over to finish with a 72.

“I was playing very well, then all of a sudden I wasn’t playing so well,” Toms said.

Dougherty said he expected the real Oakmont would ultimately reveal itself.

“This course is barbaric!” he exclaimed.

Proof: Sergio Garcia joked this week that Oakmont wasn’t bad for a par 78.

Thursday, Garcia shot 79, which officially goes down as nine over but only one over in Garcia’s book.

Oakmont played to an average of 75.3, about the same as it did in the first round of the 1994 Open here.

There were predictions of 10 over being the winning score this week, so count Thursday as a mint on the pillow.

Dougherty, a regular on the PGA European Tour, made the U.S. Open through sectional qualifying in England. This is his third U.S. Open appearance. He finished tied for 52nd in 2005 and missed the cut last year.

He is, as Englishmen go, an interesting chap.

Dougherty says his father knew Pete Best, the drummer for the Beatles before Ringo Starr, and years ago acquired an early guitar owned by Paul McCartney.

Dougherty says his father sold the guitar to buy Nick a flute.

“I don’t know why he did it,” Dougherty explained. “It’s his own fault. Can you imagine me asking for a flute?”

McCartney once wrote a song -- “Fool on the Hill” -- that could pertain to this transaction.

Dougherty said his dad wanted him to have a flute to play while he was on the road playing golf.

“I don’t play it anymore,” Dougherty said.

Dougherty is also connected to another England icon, Nick Faldo, who won six majors but never the U.S. Open.

Dougherty claimed a few youth tournaments that Faldo sponsored, with the winner getting to play a round with the star golfer. That led to Faldo giving Dougherty private lessons and generally taking him under his wing.

“Which you can imagine is like a dream come true,” Dougherty said. “For a British golfer, Nick Faldo, he’s Tiger Woods for us.”

Dougherty didn’t always take his game seriously, and admits having spent too many nights carousing.

“Those days are long gone, to be honest,” Dougherty said.

Now, he envisions doing what Faldo never could and what no European has done since 1970: win the U.S. Open.

“I believe I’m a good enough golfer to contend in majors whether it’s now or this year or down the line,” Dougherty said. “I want to be one of those European and British players media look at to fly the flag for us in these tournaments because we’ve had a drought recently....”

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chris.dufresne@latimes.com