By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent, Minnesota

Justin Rose, with more wins to his name this year than the entire European Ryder Cup team, is in the limelight again.

This week's US PGA championship in Minnesota is the first professional tournament the 22-year-old has ever played on United States soil.

But, inspired rather than daunted by the occasion, Rose opened with a three-under-par 69 on Thursday and going into the second day he was joint third only a stroke off the lead held by Americans Jim Furyk and Fred Funk.

A three-hour thunderstorm delay just before he was about to tee off meant the first round at Hazeltine National could not be completed last night, but Rose knows he will enter the second round two ahead of Masters and US Open champion Tiger Woods and three in front of Open champion Ernie Els.

And the Hampshire youngster, four times a winner in other parts of the world this season, was just as pleased with the support he received as the way he played.

"From the outset people were chanting 'Go on, JR' and 'Go Rosie'," he said. "They're sort of affectionate names, things my mates would call me, so that was kind of nice.

"There were a bunch of guys who followed me all the way around and they were on the walkway between every green and tee and always had a funny little comment to make.

"I had a good time out there and I've been unbelievably relaxed this week. I didn't have any nerves on the first tee whatsoever and I think that suffering from a cold this week may have helped in terms of lowering my expectations.

"I said before the start that top 20 was a goal because I really didn't know what to expect. You don't want to make rash statements when you really don't know what you're getting yourself into.

"Obviously there's a long way to go, but I always like to see the 'R', then the 'O' start to be put up on the leaderboards."

Unless, of course, it's for Eduardo Romero, Loren Roberts or Costantino Rocca.

While Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia, both of whom have had their exchanges with American crowds, dropped late shots for 74 and 75 respectively and Darren Clarke slumped to a 79, Rose had four birdies on the back nine to make his presence felt.

Playing partner Stuart Appleby, the Australian who lost a play-off for the Open last month, commented: "The UK should be really proud of Justin.

"You can see why he's won four tournaments. He swings it great, his drives are pretty solid and he putts well. He's real mature and could be a top player for the next 15 to 20 years."

He has not always swung it great, of course. Rose's professional career began with 21 successive missed halfway cuts - all in the glare of publicity as a result of his fourth place finish in the 1998 Open when he was a 17-year-old amateur.

"I've had a rollercoaster ride and it's been a windy road to here, but I think the bad times have made me tougher and made me more able to deal with the conditions you face in a major."

His father Ken's battle with leukaemia has also given Rose a proper perspective on what he is achieving and to have him on hand this week - as well as his mother and sister - is an added incentive for wanting to shine.

Partnering Woods in the first two rounds at Muirfield - and out-scoring him on day one - is also paying dividends.

"If you want to be competing in these sort of tournaments you're going to face him more often than not. I was pretty happy with the way I coped and dealt with it and I learnt a lot about myself.

"I think the first time you play with him is obviously the hardest because you don't really know what to expect, but afterwards you think 'well, he's a really nice guy and fine to play with.'

"He doesn't try to intimidate you and I don't get distracted by movement and noise luckily."

No European has won this trophy since Tommy Armour in 1930, but Hazeltine is the course where Tony Jacklin won the 1970 US Open by seven.

Rose leads the 23-strong challenge from Europe, with Padraig Harrington and Nick Faldo the only other two able to break par yesterday with 71s.

Clarke was not the worst. Jesper Parnevik had an 82 and Surrey's Paul Casey, like Rose playing his first major in America, collapsed to an 85.

Lee Westwood was among the 39 back at daybreak today, first to finish off their first rounds and then to play their second. He was one over after 14 holes.