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Toms frustrated after marquee pairing

CHASKA, Minn. -- For a major champion, it was a major admission: "I'm not in their league."

The speaker was David Toms, defender at the PGA Championship and ranked sixth in the world, fifth on the PGA Tour money list.

He was talking about No. 1 Tiger Woods and No. 3 Ernie Els, winners of this year's majors and the players he was paired with for Thursday's first round.

"I'm not saying there won't be weeks when I can't jump up and beat them," Toms said after shooting 77 at Hazeltine National Golf Club. "But I can't compete week in and week out with those guys."

Toms used the 14th hole, a 204-yard par 3, as an example.

"Those guys are hitting 6- and 7-irons straight up in the air," he said. "I'm trying to finagle a 4-iron and run it up there. I'm not in their league. That's the absolute truth.

"Let's just say it was deflating at times. ... I mean, it's hard to compete against them. If they're hitting three less clubs than me into greens, who's got the better chance? It really shows up in the majors, when the courses get hard and tough. That's why they're always there."

TROUBLE WITH THE WOODS: Woods had his struggles, too. A faulty driver gave him fits. He shot 71, far better than you would have guessed for all the trouble he had with what usually is his best club. He was three shots behind clubhouse leaders Jim Furyk and Fred Funk.

The driver found the fairway two of the seven times Woods swung it.

"It wasn't very good," said Woods, who had three birdies and two bogeys. "It was frustrating, because I felt good over the shots. No matter what I tried to do ... with that club, I just seemed to get out of rhythm. I got the club stuck behind me, and I would flit left or hang on it and hit it right."

Woods, who won the Buick Open on Sunday for his 33rd tour title, said the rest of his game was good, and he had a lengthy practice session in mind.

"I know what I'm doing wrong in the swing," he said. "It's just a matter of trusting it and getting the (practice) reps in, which I'll do. My backswing was off. When that gets off, either I get defensive and hit it left or I get defensive and hit it right. I can't really let it go from where I'm at."

TAKING PRECAUTIONS: When the horn blew to signal the weather delay, there was barely a drop of rain falling. It didn't matter. Players and spectators scurried from the course. There was lightning in the area, and nobody was going to take any chances.

That lesson was learned the hard way at Hazeltine. At the 1991 U.S. Open played here, a spectator was killed and several were injured when a storm blew over the course in the first round.

After the siren sounded at 8:37 a.m. Thursday, rain eventually fell, delaying play until 11:30 a.m.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Els had the entire rain delay to think about his ball being in a divot. The British Open champion hit his opening tee shot, then the horn sounded. He knew he'd be playing his second from a tough spot, but after hitting short of the green Els chipped in for birdie.

"When the chip shot went in the hole I felt pretty happy and relieved," Els said of his 72. "I'm a little disappointed in my finish, but it was a pretty good day."

SMELLING LIKE A ... : England's Justin Rose played his first round in the United States as a professional. Rose, 22, who finished fourth at the 1998 British Open in his last event as an amateur before struggling after turning pro, has won four times this year on three continents. He has risen to 39th in the world ranking. "It makes you realize how much progress I've made this year," Rose said. "I am happy with my start, and my name is on the leaderboard."

GOING FOR THE GREEN: The purse for the PGA Championship was announced at $5.5-million, an increase of $300,000. The winner receives $990,000, $54,000 more than Toms won last year. But it is less than at the other three majors, each of which paid $1-million or more for winning this year. Still, the PGA has increased its purse every year since 1992.

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