DORAL, Fla. (AP) - Television towers toppled and the monster scoreboard at Doral came crashing down when 50 mph gusts blew through the Blue Monster. Hunter Mahan then delivered some excitement of his own.
Mahan birdied his opening four holes Thursday and kept right on rolling until the storm-delayed opening round was suspended by darkness. He didn't miss a green or come close to a bogey in 11 holes and was 7 under.
Mahan, the only American winner in the last five World Golf Championships, didn't get much attention in a tournament that tried to drum up some drama by grouping players by their world ranking.
The biggest crowd belonged to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in a rare weekday pairing, with Graeme McDowell along for the ride. They scrapped their way around Doral without challenging the leaders - Mickelson at 2 under, with Woods and McDowell another shot back through 15 holes.
The top three players did a better job living up to their billing.
Martin Kaymer, in his second week at No. 1, opened with three straight birdies and was at 5 under through 10 holes. Match Play winner Luke Donald (No. 3) joined him with a birdie on the 10th hole, while Lee Westwood (No. 2) was another shot behind.
Mahan went out in 30 on the back nine, which included birdie putts of 35 and 40 feet.
At 7 under, he was two shots clear of Charley Hoffman, who had a 5-under 67 and was among nine players in the 66-man field who were able to finish the round.
Puerto Rico Open
RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP) - James Driscoll shot a 9-under 63 on Thursday in the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open, missing a chance to break 60 when he played the final four holes in 2 over.
Driscoll eagled the par-5 fifth - his 14th hole of the day - to reach 11 under, but dropped strokes on the par-4 seventh and par-3 eighth at Trump International Golf Club-Puerto Rico. He had 10 birdies in a 12-hole stretch from No. 12 to No. 3 and ended up with a two-stroke lead over Will MacKenzie.
Driscoll matched the course record set by Derek Lamely in the third round of his victory last year.
Angel Cabrera, Omar Uresti and Brendan Steele opened with 66s, and Troy Matteson, Aron Price, Hunter Haas, Fabian Gomez and Cameron Tringale were another stroke back. Stewart Cink had a 69.
John Daly rallied to shoot a 70. He was 4 over after six holes.
Lamely had seven bogeys in a 76.
