Four tied for lead as fog-plagued U.S. Amateur gets under way
 
Aug. 21, 2007

DALY CITY, Calif. (AP) -- Four players shot a 2-under-par 68 to take the lead at the U.S. Amateur on Monday as fog plagued the tournament's first round at the Olympic Club south of San Francisco.

Kyle Ellis, Kyle Dickey, Nathan Tyler and Andy Mickelson were among the half of the 315-golfer field who managed to complete a full 18 holes, while the rest were still out on the two courses when darkness halted play. The field will be cut to 64 players after 36 holes, when the format switches to match play.

A thick morning fog delayed the start of the first round by four hours, which may complicate the schedule for the next few days. Not all players will have likely completed the first two rounds by Tuesday night and will have to finish Wednesday morning, when match play is set to begin.

"There's nothing you can do about the weather. A lot of guys were probably thinking about the delay, but I didn't want that to bother me," said Ellis, who will be a senior at Mississippi.

Ellis shot 68 on the slightly easier Ocean Course along with Dickey, Tyler and Mickelson. Mickelson, who played on the Hooters Tour but regained his amateur status in 2005, is not related to PGA TOUR star Phil Mickelson.

Jonathan Hodge was 4 under through nine holes on the tougher Lake Course. Gary Wolstenhome, an Englishman who beat Tiger Woods in the 1995 Walker Cup and is a two-time British Amateur champion, was 3 under through nine holes on the Ocean Course.

Jason Kokrak, who has qualified for this year's U.S. Open, was 2 under par through nine holes on the Lake Course, as was Josh Anderson.

Sihwan Kim, who won the 2004 Junior Amateur at the Olympic Club, shot a 73 on the Ocean Course, putting him in position to advance to match play.

More fog is forecaset for Tuesday morning, but USGA officials are hopeful that the weather will not cause more delays.

This is the third U.S. Amateur to be played at the Olympic Club, where Charles Coe defeated Tommy Aaron 5 and 4 in 1958, and Nathanial Crosby, son of the late Bing Crosby, beat Brian Lindley on the 37th hole in 1981.

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