Australia's Adam Scott fell foul to wet weather and snarly rough on the opening day of the $5 million Singapore Open on Thursday as big guns Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington also struggled to get going. The city-state's own Lam Chih Bing made the best of challenging conditions on Sentosa Island, which ranged from lightning and torrential rain to bright bursts of tropical sunshine, to lead the field with a four-under-par 67. Play was suspended around midday local time due to the stormy weather and resumed at 1415 (0615 GMT). South African Ernie Els was among the late starters and was one of 71 players who will have to complete their first round on Friday. Els was three-under-par after 13 holes at the Serapong Course. World number 17 Scott was left fuming after carding a five-over 76 and scythed silently through ranks of reporters and autograph hunters waiting for him after his round. Scott beat Els in a playoff in 2006, his second victory in succession, and the 28-year-old from Adelaide is looking to become the first player to record a hat trick of Singapore Open titles. Irishman Harrington, winner of the British Open and PGA Championship this year, finished the day five strokes behind at 1 under, with Mickelson a shot further back. The American, who relinquished his world number two ranking to Spain's Sergio Garcia at the HSBC Champions earlier this week, will start the second round six shots behind the leader but was happy not to be further back. Organizers of Asia's richest open, with $792,500 going to the winner, have been forced to come up with contingency plans for potential weather delays and have met to discuss the possibility of a potential spillover into next week. “A firm decision has been taken that if the third round is started, the ... Open will definitely go to 72 holes, even if that means a Monday finish,” they said in a statement. Should weather forecasts suggest weekend play will be disrupted by lightning, organizers would review the situation and possibly reduce the tournament to 54 holes “in the interest of player and spectator safety.” Ishikawa shoots into lead Japanese schoolboy Ryo Ishikawa fired an opening 66 to get a head start on US Masters champion Trevor Immelman at the Taiheiyo Masters on Thursday. The 17-year-old, who won his first tournament as a professional earlier this month, reached the clubhouse three clear of South African Immelman in Shizuoka. Ishikawa ignited his six-under-par round by draining a snaking 25-foot eagle putt on the 11th after starting his round on the 10th hole. Fellow Japanese Shingo Katayama, known for his colorful cowboy hats and belts, shot a 67 for a share of second place with Yasuharu Imano. Immelman, who won his first major title at Augusta National in April, returned a 69 in benign conditions against the backdrop of Japan's Mount Fuji. – Agencies __
