A BAND of relatively unknown Brits called the tune at The Oxfordshire on a day when an appearance by Wet, Wet, Wet would have been most apt!

Once the impressively lush fairways had been doused by the morning's unwelcome rain, it was another Scottish talent who stole the show in the shape of Dean Robertson, leader in the clubhouse after an opening round of 67.

Robertson produced a tremendous finishing burst as he birdied five of the last six holes.

Welshman Bradley Dredge was another to shine on a day of relatively low scoring in the sultry conditions, shooting 68 to join Italian Massimo Florioli just one off the lead.

The lengthy delay didn't affect Staffordshire's David Lynn, who held the lead for most of the day until Robert-son's late charge.

He made a 'storming' start, picking up birdies at four of the opening six holes on the outward nine.

The 25-year-old reached the turn in 32, but dropped his only shot of the day at the 12th to go back to three-under, where he finished despite twice being bunkered at the last.

Late starter Paul Affleck had only completed half his round when play was halted at 8.35pm, but stands, like Lynn earlier, four-under at the turn.

Two more players who were hoping to carry on this morning where they left off last night are Padraig Harrington and Thomas Bjorn. Both were three-under having completed nine and eight holes respectively.

Brian Davis didn't drop a single shot in his equally efficient round. He was three-under after ten and par play on the way home earned him a welcome place just behind the early pacesetters.

The 26-year-old witnessed one of the sport's young talents at first hand and was suitably impressed with Walker Cup amateur Justin Rose, who fired a level par 72.

"It's incredible to think he's only 17," Davis declared. "He's a class player and will definitely make it." Another young player, who has made it already, is Lee Westwood, but one of the stars of last year's Ryder Cup triumph was left reflecting on a series of missed putts.

The 25-year-old from Work-sop revealed eight missed chances in his post-round review, but still took solace from the fact that his 71 left him still in there fighting.

Westwood missed birdie putts on the tenth, 14th, 15th, 2nd, 3rd and 5th, while a four-footer slid past on the 12th which cost him a par.

Westwood's long game was obviously to the fore and his tee shot at the par three 13th, where an £82,000 Honda car is the prize for an ace, landed a couple of feet from the pin.

He did manage to hole that tiddler for his first birdie of the day.

Playing partner Jose Maria Olazabal wasn't at all happy with his long game and he found the greens tricky on his way to a level par 72 which nevertheless pleased the Spaniard.

Ian Woosnam, who said the course played long, had two bogeys and a trio of birdies in his 71, missing from three feet on the first and then three-putting from 20 feet at 12 for his bogey holes.

The Welshman's Ryder Cup colleague Colin Montgomerie and captain Seve Ballesteros will doubtless be satisfied with their truncated efforts.

The Scot was one-under at the turn, while the Spaniard, struggling for form of late, will have been delighted to have done no damage to his figures at the end of the most frustrating of days.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.