US amateur Rickie Fowler gets the 109th US Open under way at 0700 local time (1200 BST) at Bethpage, Farmingdale, New York
Bethpage's Black course, set up under United States Golf Association instructions for the US Open, is a hard enough test at the best of times, but the heavy rain makes life even more difficult for the early starters
Defending champion Tiger Woods is paired in an illustrious group with Open and USPGA champion Padraig Harrington and Masters winner Angel Cabrera
Ireland's three-time major champion Harrington has been strangely out of sorts this season as he tinkers with his swing and he drops four shots in his first five holes
Cabrera is looking to add a second US Open title after his victory at Oakmont in 2007 and the big-hitting Argentine is level after six holes
Woods, who won at Bethpage the last time the US Open was held here in 2002, hooks his opening drive and double-bogeys the 5th before getting a shot back on six for one over
England's Ian Poulter, who was second in the Open at Royal Birkdale last year, remains level par, one off the lead, after seven holes
But the deluge over New York is forming bigger and bigger puddles on the greens and play is suspended at 1017 local time (1517 BST)
There is no break in the rain, however, and as the Bethpage course gets increasingly saturated, officials suspend play for the day at 1355 local time (1855 BST) with 78 players yet to start their opening round
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