OAKMONT, Pa. -- The U.S. Open is always the ultimate test in patience, especially at a course such as Oakmont, which is routinely demanding and debilitating in the best of conditions.
Thursday's opening day of the 116th version of the championship promises to make the week even more taxing.
Three weather delays, the last prompting the suspension of the first round, will only serve to make an otherwise fitful week more so. Only nine players managed to complete the opening round, led by amateur Scottie Scheffler, while 78 never teed off.
"You can't really control the weather,'' said England's Lee Westwood, who managed to get to 1 under par through 13 holes. "You can't let it fluster you. The U.S. Open is a test of patience. This just adds to it. So try and get your head around it and make the best of it.''
Westwood, 43, is playing in his 17th U.S. Open. He has seen plenty in a career that spans more than two decades. Thursday's washout was another in a long line of them, although it served to change considerably a fast, firm course that was causing considerable consternation during practice rounds.
Nearly three inches of rain fell on the course on Thursday, and even greens that are pitched and drain well are bound to be running slower when players get back on the course Friday morning. Still, there were just seven players under par at the time play was suspended.
PGA Tour rookie Andrew Landry, who got to 5 under for his round, is 3 under with a birdie putt remaining on the ninth hole, his 18th of the day. He will putt out on Friday morning, and then might not be able to begin his second round until Saturday. Bubba Watson is 2 under through 14, as is Danny Lee through 13 holes.
"It's unbelievable the difference,'' Shane Lowry said. "There still aren't too many guys under par. I think if you hit it in the fairway, you could hit greens easier. They're not as firm and as fast so it's definitely made it easier for us. Obviously the rough is a lot juicier so you really need to keep the ball in the short stuff. It's been an interesting day.''
For Scheffler, you might call it a dream-like day. He is the clubhouse leader with a 69. Scheffler, 19, a sophomore at the University of Texas, made three birdies and a bogey in his first-ever round in the U.S. Open.
Scheffler advanced through sectional qualifying last week in Ohio and got a practice round on Wednesday with fellow Longhorn and defending champion Jordan Spieth.
"I was lucky enough to play nine holes with Jordan, Zach Johnson and William McGirt Wednesday morning,'' said Scheffler, who won the U.S. Junior in 2013. "That was really, really helpful. Zach showed me spots around the greens. Jordan also helped out and then William actually helped me out with the spikes, my shoes. I was kind of slipping around. I have to thank him whenever he's done, wherever he is.''
Finding anyone in the mayhem at Oakmont Thursday afternoon was no simple task. Rain was heavy at times, already impacting conditions that players had not seen in practice. "Massive,'' said Masters champion Danny Willett. "Spinning balls back, pitching and stopping. We've been playing 10, 15 yards of run and then today you're almost hitting 7-irons back and stuff. It's very different.''
The question now is can United States Golf Association officials get the course back to the firm conditions they covet?
"After this rain I'm not sure how much it can dry out,'' Westwood said. "Obviously, it slows the golf course down a lot. It was playing really tough when it was firm and bouncy and really quick at the start of the week. "Obviously, they'll slow down a little bit but they've still got some pace to them and you can't afford to miss it in the wrong place. The sand traps are a bit heavier. It's all about adapting to the conditions. So you just go out there and try to play and get off to a steady start and not make many mistakes early on. You don't want to chase at a U.S. Open, you just want to keep knocking the pars off and chasing when you can.''
That seems a good strategy. So does recognizing that some long, slow days loom on one of the game's toughest venues.