LOS ANGELES — A trio of champions are playing in the same group at Riviera, all of them with memories of winning in vastly different ways, starting with Phil Mickelson.

He's the only guy who didn't win the Northern Trust Open in a rain suit.

That's a popular topic going into the second round today with rain in the forecast over the next two days, which would put a damper on a golf course that players have described as nothing short of perfect.

Dustin Johnson had a one-shot lead over Andres Romero and Kevin Stadler after opening with a 7-under 64 that was close to flawless. Johnson was to play this afternoon, about the time rain was expected to arrive.

Stadler was an early starter, hopeful to beat the rain. Also playing early today was Brandt Snedeker and Ricky Barnes, who opened with 66, along with Steve Stricker (67), David Duval and Ernie Els, both of whom shot 68.

Another early starter is Mickelson, who is going for an unprecedented third straight victory at Riviera. He opened with a 72 after making three bogeys on his last four holes. "I had it right there ... and I let it go," Mickelson said.

Mickelson's partners for the first two rounds?

One of them is Adam Scott, whose victory at Riviera in 2005 comes with an asterisk at best. That was the year of so much rain that it took four days to complete 36 holes. One hole was played on Monday, a sudden-death playoff against Chad Campbell, who had not hit a shot that mattered in three days. Scott won with a par, although it didn't count as an official win because it was only 36 holes.

The other was Robert Allenby, whose victory comes with neither an asterisk nor a plaque.

Allenby won a six-man playoff at Riviera in 2001 in a cold, steady rain by hitting 3-wood for his second shot into 5 feet on the fabled 18th hole. It was a remarkable shot, one deserving of a plaque if it was a major, or if Allenby's name was Tiger Woods.

The Australian is used to being overlooked.

When he returned to Riviera as the defending champion, he had troubles registering for the tournament because the volunteer behind the desk didn't recognize him. Allenby had to point to the oil pointing of him in the clubhouse.