Holmes grabs clubhouse lead at Oakland Hills

By Larry Fine

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Andres Romero of Argentina bogeyed the 18th hole early on Friday to slip out of a share of the lead at the PGA Championship, completing a one-under-par 69 at Oakland Hills Country Club.

The 27-year-old Romero was in a group of five players bunched one stroke behind co-leaders Robert Karlsson of Sweden and Jeev Milkha Singh of India after the first round was completed.

Sergio Garcia of Spain and Americans Billy Mayfair, Sean O'Hair and Ken Duke were the others who posted 69s.

Romero was one of 18 players who had to finish rounds interrupted by failing light after Thursday's 85-minute weather delay.

The Argentine got into trouble on the difficult, 498-yard 18th when his four-iron approach fell in the rough short of the right front bunker. He pitched up about 10 feet past the hole and took two putts for bogey.

"I'm very happy," Romero told reporters despite his stumble at the last. "It is a very good round to be one shot from the leaders. That is very good for the PGA Championship."

The seven top players were the only ones to better par on the sloping, 7,395-yard Oakland Hills course outside Detroit. The average first-round score was 74.85, nearly five over par.

Cool weather was in the offing on the sprawling layout with the threat of another thunderstorm forecast for later in the day.

Karlsson was scheduled to tee off for the second round at 1250 (1650 GMT) from the 10th tee, one group ahead of Singh.

Garcia, the world number six, was teeing off at 1335 from number one, two groups ahead of three-times major winner Phil Mickelson, who stood at even par.

The top seven on the leaderboard were all gunning for their first victory in a major championship in what looms as a wide-open shootout in the absence of injured world number one Tiger Woods, winner of the last two PGA Championships.

(Editing by Clare Fallon)