CHASKA, MINN. ? Tiger Woods’ opening tee shot in the PGA Championship went according to plan, a piercing 2-iron in the middle of the fairway.

He was walking toward his ball when a siren sounded. He wasn’t sure what it meant until he turned and saw black clouds gathering on the horizon, signaling a storm delay that lasted nearly three hours.

Davis Love iii blasts out of a sand bunker on the 14th hole. He carded a 2-under-par 70 and is tied for fifth two strokes behind the leaders following Thursday's opening round of the PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn.

“It did surprise me that they blew the horn,” he said.

Woods wasn’t the only one surprised after an unusual opening round in the final major championship of the season.

Jim Furyk, who had missed the cut in the three previous majors, had a 4-under-par 68 for a share of the lead. Joining him was Fred Funk, who didn’t even qualify for the Masters, U.S. Open or British Open.

John Daly had a 77, with 11 of those coming on one hole, the par-4 16th.

David Toms started the day as the defending champion and ended it feeling a bit overmatched in the presence of Woods (71) and Ernie Els (72). He had a 77, and was in danger of missing the cut.

Phil Mickelson, in his last chance this year to finally win a major, found the cup to be even more elusive. He missed two putts inside 4 feet and was at 3-over par when darkness draped Hazeltine National Golf Club as he got to his 16th hole.

Thirty-nine players have to return this morning to finish their rounds, with only Greg Norman and Retief Goosen in position to catch the leaders.

Furyk and Funk are neighbors in Florida who have more than a zip code in common. They shared the lead in the year’s final major, after botching the first three.

“It’s been a good year and a frustrating year, all in one,” said Furyk, who became a father this summer.

Vijay Singh looks for his ball in the rough on the 17th hole with help from his caddie, Paul Tesori. Unable to find the ball, Singh took a bogey on the hole Thursday in Chaska, Minn.

For Funk it was worse. He didn’t even qualify for the first three majors.

“I knew I was going to get in one of them,” he said with a smile.

Funk certainly made the most of it on what turned out to be a glorious day in Minnesota. Taking only three putts over his final four holes, the former Maryland golf coach shot into a share of the lead, an unfamiliar position for him.

He chipped in for birdie on No. 15, holed putts of 30 and 20 feet on the next two holes, then saved par with about a 10-foot putt on the last.

Furyk wasn’t nearly that dramatic, but he was just as satisfied. Four of his five birdie putts were inside 10 feet, the exception coming on No. 6, when he got a good read from Jerry Kelly’s putt and made birdie from 25 feet.

Furyk had a share of the first-round lead in the 1997 British Open and has reason to believe he can pick up his first major here. Eleven of the last 14 winners at the PGA had never won a major.

“I would like to put myself in position the next couple of days, but that history probably isn’t going to help me too much,” he said.

Justin Rose of England, suddenly a regular contender in majors, had a 69 and was joined by Peter Lonard of Australia.

Davis Love III made double bogey on the 16th and still shot 70, along with Lee Janzen, while Vijay Singh and Minnesota native Tom Lehman joined Woods in the group at 71.

It was a bizarre beginning to the final major of the year. Minnesota fans were buzzing by the time Woods, Els and Toms arrived on the 10th tee. They took up every inch of space down the fairways, standing 20 rows deep up a slope.

Whack! Whack! Whack!

All three drives found the fairways, and what followed was a sound that startled Woods the siren to halt play because of a fast-approaching storm.

Everyone could see the black clouds behind them except for Woods, whose eyes were focused on the 10th fairway and perhaps the American Slam. No one has ever won the three U.S. majors in the same year.

He stiffened and looked back when he heard the horn.

“I didn’t know what it was for, and David said there was lightning in the area,” Woods said. “I looked back and said, ‘Yeah, let’s get out of here.”‘

After a long wait, the three warmed up quickly.

From a sand-filled divot, Els came up short of the green and then chipped in from 60 feet. He added a 10-foot birdie on the next hole, while Woods hit a half-flop from thick rough to 10 inches for birdie on the par-5 11th and joined Els at 2 under with an 8-foot birdie on No. 12.

That’s as low as either of them got.

Els struggled with club selection in the swirling wind. Woods struggled with his driver. Yet both are still very much in contention.

That can’t be said for Daly, who didn’t like the way the 16th set up for him the first time he saw it. His suspicions were correct.

He hit a 3-wood into the water. Then a 2-iron into the water. Then a driver that nearly went into another hazard. Followed by a 6-iron into the grandstand. After a free drop, his lob wedge went over the green and into the water. He chipped over the green. He almost chipped in. He tapped in for 11.

“I tried on every shot,” Daly said.

Funk is one of the shortest hitters on tour, a guy known best for his accuracy. He’s been known to pick out the stripes left by lawn mowers as his target off the tee.

But majors have been another story. His best finish is a tie for seventh, and he’s only been in one other top 10. He recalls one time being tied for the lead after 22 holes, and another time being close to the lead on the weekend.

Furyk has had a few good chances already, especially the 1998 Masters and British Open, when he tied for fourth.

He’s had some good reasons for playing poorly in the majors this year: an inner-ear infection before the Masters, the impending birth of his daughter during the U.S. Open, and being a new father at the British Open.

Then again, he also won the Memorial with a final-round 65 for his seventh tour victory.

“When I’ve played well, I’ve played very well and put myself in position,” he said. “I’ve always missed a bunch of cuts. I try to look at the positive parts.”