Chez Reavie, Ryan Moore and former winner Brandt Snedeker each shot six-under 64s at the Wyndham Championship on Thursday.
The biggest noise, however, was made by the weather at Sedgefield Country Club. Heavy rains, and thunder and lightning forced a mid-afternoon delay of about four hours. Play was suspended because of darkness with 78 players on the course.
Justin Rose, Kevin Streelman and Colt Knost were one stroke back at 65, with Chris Riley also at five-under through 14 holes. US President’s Cup captain Fred Couples and John Daly were among the eight who shot 66. Steve Elkington joined them at four-under through 14 holes and Bill Haas was at four-under through 10.
“When you lose time on Thursday, it’s very difficult to catch up,” said Mark Russell, the US PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competition. “It’s going to be an all-day affair.”
Once the rains stopped, Reavie came back to the green at nine and polished off his opening round by tapping in his short putt for par. Reavie took a strong first step toward thrusting himself into the field for the Tour playoffs. He entered at No. 177 on the points list, 159 behind No. 125 Andres Romero. The top 125 qualify for the playoffs.
Starting his round on the back nine, Reavie made a late charge with birdies on holes four to seven to move to six-under. Then, he said he heard thunder while he lined up the birdie putt that he pushed wide right.
Playing partners Parker McLachlin and Johnson Wagner both holed out, but the air horn sounded to stop play moments before Reavie could tap in. That temporarily halted his best round since the Mercedes-Benz Championship — the first event of the year.
“The putter woke up today,” Reavie said. “I’ve been hitting the ball well for the last month and a half or so. I just haven’t been able to make any putts.”
Snedeker, who won the Wyndham two years ago when it was held across town at Forest Oaks Country Club, started on the back nine and birdied the par-three seven before the delay, then came back out and closed his round with consecutive pars.
“I’ve been putting it fantastic — I putted it great today, and hit a lot of quality iron shots,” Snedeker said. “I knew I was swinging good, knew I was playing good ... I guess getting back on bent-grass greens kind of got my putter working again.”
Moore moved into a share of the lead with six birdies during his bogey-free round, the last coming after the delay on the par-four 17th. He placed his fairway shot about 5 feet from the flag and holed the following putt.
Rose birdied 17 to briefly move to six-under before three-putting on 18 for his only bogey of the round — his best round of the year, beating by one stroke his final round at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Two of the day’s most impressive shots came on the 17th. Bill Lunde eagled it after holing out from 98 yards and Tommy Armour III later chipped in from 14 yards in the intermediate rough.
■KLM OPEN
AP, ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS
Ireland’s Paul McGinley and Scotland’s Gary Orr used easier conditions early to shoot opening six-under 64s and tie for the lead at the KLM Open on Thursday.
Defending champion Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland was a stroke back in a group of four with Ireland’s Peter Lawrie, Australian Matthew Millar and Spain’s Jorge Campillo.
A severe afternoon storm delayed the end of the round for an hour.
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