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Hilversum - World No 3 Martin Kaymer made a miserable start to the defence of his Dutch Open title when he squelched to a four-over-par 74 at a soaking Hilversumsche course on Thursday.
The German, still suffering the heavy cold he picked up last week in Switzerland, trails the first round early leaders, his compatriot Marcel Siem and twice Dutch winner Simon Dyson of Britain, by nine strokes.
Kaymer now needs a significant change in fortunes in the second round if he is to make the cut to try to hold off world No 4 Rory McIlroy in the world rankings.
"My cold is making me feel a little weak for sure and that's not the best when the course is playing so long in the wet," Kaymer told Reuters. "Twice I had to hit into the greens with woods on par-fours.
"But I just didn't use all my chances, especially the par-fives. I only had one birdie as well and I just couldn't make a putt. At least I have a long lie-in to try to get myself in shape for tomorrow."
The 2010 US PGA champion gets his extra sleep because the second half of the field - including McIlroy and world No 2 Lee Westwood - had only just began their rounds when he finished his in early evening.
A three-and-a-half hour rain delay, following the loss of 45 minutes earlier to repair four vandalised greens, severely disrupted play.
McIlroy and Westwood are in the second half of the draw and will have to finish off their rounds on Friday before turning around to play their second rounds. Only then will Kaymer be back on duty.
The joint leaders will also have time on their hands. Rounds of 65 left Dyson and Siem a stroke in front of Briton Robert Dinwiddie.
Dyson is looking for a hat-trick of Dutch wins and a second victory of the season to maintain his bid for a career-best order of merit placing this campaign.
"It was probably the wettest course I've ever played, but this tournament is always good to me," the July Irish Open winner said. "My best finish on the order of merit is eighth and I'd love to beat that."
Siem, lying 104th on the money-list, cited improved fitness for his appearance on the leaderboard.
"I've been working out every day since last week and it's made my posture better," he said.
European PGA Tour Dutch Open first-round scores from the par-70 course in Hilversum on Thursday:
-5 Simon Dyson (Britain) 18 65
Marcel Siem (Germany) 18 65 -4 Robert Dinwiddie (Britain) 18 66 -3 Oliver Wilson (Britain) 18 67
Anders Hansen (Denmark) 18 67
David Lynn (Britain) 18 67
Jeong Jin (South Korea) 10 -2 Robert Coles (Britain) 18 68
Stephen Dodd (Britain) 18 68
Marc Warren (Britain) 18 68
Richard Bland (Britain) 11
Gary Orr (Britain) 10
Simon Khan (Britain) 10
Jose Manuel Lara (Spain) 9
Johan Edfors (Sweden) 9
Robert-Jan Derksen (Netherlands) 8
Ross Fisher (Britain) 8
-1 David Dixon (Britain) 18 69
Thomas Levet (France) 18 69
Jamie Elson (Britain) 18 69
Markus Brier (Austria) 18 69
Niklas Lemke (Sweden) 18 69
Ralph Miller (Netherlands) 18 69
Rikard Karlberg (Sweden) 18 69
Lorenzo Gagli (Italy) 18 69
Steve Webster (Britain) 8
Gregory Havret (France) 8
Robert Rock (Britain) 7
Alvaro Velasco (Spain) 6
James Kingston (South Africa) 6
Rhys Davies (Britain) 5
Wade Ormsby (Australia) 3
Simon Wakefield (Britain) 2 Level
Victor Dubuisson (France) 18 70
John Parry (Britain) 18 70
Richie Ramsay (Britain) 18 70
Seve Benson (Britain) 18 70
Thorbjorn Olesen (Denmark) 18 70
Michael Jonzon (Sweden) 18 70
Edoardo Molinari (Italy) 18 70
Lloyd Saltman (Britain) 18 70
Nicolas Colsaerts (Belgium) 18 70
Thomas Aiken (South Africa) 18 70
Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand) 18 70
Shane Lowry (Ireland) 18 70
Paul McGinley (Ireland) 18 70
Michael Hoey (Britain) 18 70
Dodge Kemmer (U.S.) 18 70
Florian Fritsch (Germany) 18 70
Alexandre Kaleka (France) 18 70
Benjamin Hebert (France) 18 70
Daniel Gaunt (Australia) 18 70
Matt Haines (Britain) 18 70
Alastair Forsyth (Britain) 10
Oskar Henningsson (Sweden) 10
Eirik Tage Johansen (Norway) 9
Pablo Larrazabal (Spain) 8
Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) 8
Lee Westwood (Britain) 8
Maarten Lafeber (Netherlands) 8
Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 7
Gareth Maybin (Britain) 6
David Howell (Britain) 6
Thomas Norret (Denmark) 5
Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Spain) 5
Chris Wood (Britain) 5
Shiv Kapur (India) 4
Alejandro Canizares (Spain) 4
Danny Willett (Britain) 4
Brett Rumford (Australia) 3
Mikael Lundberg (Sweden) 3
Stuart Manley (Britain) 2 +1 Ricardo Gonzalez (Argentina) 18 71
Bradley Dredge (Britain) 18 71
Phillip Price (Britain) 18 71
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain) 18 71
S.S.P. Chowrasia (India) 18 71
Anthony Kang (U.S.) 18 71
James Morrison (Britain) 18 71
Sven Maurits (Netherlands) 18 71
Mark Brown (New Zealand) 10
Liam Bond (Britain) 10
Peter Whiteford (Britain) 9
Peter Lawrie (Ireland) 9
Paul Lawrie (Britain) 9
Matthew Nixon (Britain) 9
Rory McIlroy (Britain) 8
Dylan Boshart (Netherlands) 7
Robin Kind (Netherlands) 7
Alfredo Garcia Heredia (Spain) 7
Gaganjeet Bhullar (India) 7
David Drysdale (Britain) 6
Jochen Lupprian (Germany) 5
Sven Struever (Germany) 4
Jeppe Huldahl (Denmark) 4
Ramon Schilperoord (Netherlands) 3
Carlos Del Moral (Spain) 3
Inder van Weerelt (Netherlands) 3
Mikko Korhonen (Finland) 3 +2 Rafael Echenique (Argentina) 18 72
Scott Jamieson (Britain) 18 72
Ross McGowan (Britain) 18 72
Joakim Haeggman (Sweden) 18 72
Christian Cevaer (France) 18 72
Stephen Gallacher (Britain) 18 72
Bernd Wiesberger (Austria) 18 72
Joel Sjoeholm (Sweden) 18 72
Fabrizio Zanotti (Paraguay) 18 72
Daan Huizing (Netherlands) 18 72
Taco Remkes (Netherlands) 18 72
Matthew Zions (Australia) 10
Niclas Fasth (Sweden) 10
Kenneth Ferrie (Britain) 10
Barry Lane (Britain) 9
David Horsey (Britain) 9
Jason Knutzon (U.S.) 9
Graeme Storm (Britain) 8
Peter Hanson (Sweden) 8
Romain Wattel (France) 7
Todd Hamilton (U.S.) 7
Jeev Milkha Singh (India) 7
Fredrik Andersson Hed (Sweden) 5
Lee Slattery (Britain) 5
Nick Dougherty (Britain) 5
Michael Kraaij (Netherlands) 3
Julio Zapata (Argentina) 3
Oscar Floren (Sweden) 3
