By MARK CANNIZZARO

Alas, golf.

After a rain-soaked and suspended first round of U.S. Oen golf yesterday, there will be golf here today at Bethpage shortly with players resuming their opening round at 7:30 this morning.

There is no rain at the moment and the forecast is calling for a 20-percent chance of mroe precipitation today _ hardly the deluge we experienced yesterday.

Tiger Woods, who’s 1-over after the six holes he played yesterday, will have an eight-foot putt on the seventh green when play resumes. His playing partner, Padraig Harrington, already 4-over, will have about a 25-footer for par on that seventh green.

Phil Mickelson, who never even came to the course yesterday because they never got the afternoon tee times going (he was scheduled at 1:36 p.m.), is scheduled to begin his first round at around 11 a.m. today on the 10th hole.

The plan is for the second round to begin at 4 p.m. today so they can get most of the second round complete before tomorrow and get close to back on schedule so they can crown a champion on Sunday.

There is, however, more rain in the forecast for Saturday, so be prepared to wait until at least Monday to see if Woods can win his 15th major and second here at Bethpage Black or if Mickelson can win his first Open for his wife, Amy, who’s about to have surgery for breast cancer in a couple of weeks.

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