Defending US Open champion Tiger Woods will be hoping that history repeats itself after enduring a nightmare start to the major for the second year in a row. At Torrey Pines 12 months ago Woods recorded a double bogey on the opening hole after finding the rough from the tee but fought back to take the title in a play-off.

Today Woods opened his defence at a rain-lashed Bethpage Black with another wayward tee shot and then double bogeyed the fifth. He pulled a shot back at the next hole before the first round was stopped as the treacherous conditions made the monster 7,426yard course unplayable.

In a marquee group with Open and US PGA champion Padraig Harrington and this year's Masters winner Angel Cabrera of Argentina, Woods hooked his first shot 40 yards left of the fairway.

The American appeared to lose his grip on impact before looking on in amazement as his ball sailed wide of the target.

He fared no better with his second shot as he went into the bunker but still managed to get up and down for par on the 430-yard dog-leg opener.

Harrington and Cabrera were not so fortunate, both bogeying the par four as the rain grew stronger, with the Irishman three-putting.

Harrington was in trouble again at the fourth as he found thick rough off the tee, needing to thrash out just to get back on the fairway.

He overshot the green with his third shot but got to six feet from the hole with a lovely chip only to miss his par putt to slip to two over.

Cabrera got back to level par at the same hole while Woods continued his par run heading to the fifth.

That was where the world No1 came unstuck for the first time, driving right into the rough and finding a front greenside bunker with his third shot. Woods got to eight feet from there but missed his bogey putt and had to settle for a double, as did Harrington, who dropped to four over. Woods regained his composure at the next hole to gain a birdie at the 408 yard par-four to sit one over when play was stopped after three hours and 20 minutes.

Playing one group in front of the reigning major champions, England's Ian Poulter suffered a bogey at the second hole but got back on track with a birdie at fourth to sit one shot off the lead held briefly by playing partner Justin Leonard of the USA, who also birdied the fourth but then bogeyed the fifth.

American Jeff Brehaut, Australian Michael Sim and Canada's Andrew Parr were the latest to slip into the lead with birdies on their cards on a day when level par was an achievement.

England's world No3 Paul Casey and playing partners Geoff Ogilvy and Jim Furyk were one over after three holes playing from the 10th tee, with Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell also at one over after five.