The primary spherical of one of many PGA Tour’s marquee occasions was initially delayed by over an hour resulting from over an inch of rain falling in a single day at TPC Sawgrass, Florida.

After which later within the day, play was delayed by 4 hours and 14 minutes after thunderstorms rolled into the world.

The delays and an early end due to darkness meant that greater than half of the sphere had been unable to complete their opening rounds.

Fleetwood, who has gone two years since his final victory, was a type of who was in a position to end, taking pictures a six-under-par 66 to steer with Hoge.

The 31-year-old returned from the delay with three straight birdies to essentially kickstart his spherical, saying that he was “fairly glad when the delay got here” because it allowed him to follow sure putts.

“I am satisfied to be in on that rating,” Fleetwood mentioned. “I felt like I drove the ball nicely except for a pair, and I felt like I chipped and putted nice. For positive, that was probably the most I may have gotten out of the spherical. So days like which can be very, very pleasing.”

Six gamers from the early facet of the draw didn’t end, which means they may return early on Friday morning to play only one or two holes earlier than getting the remainder of the break day whereas 12 gamers by no means even hit a tee shot.

England’s Ian Poulter was a type of who did end, however he needed to inject some pace to finish his 18 holes.

With the horn looming to halt play for darkness, the 46-year-old sped via the ultimate two holes in try to keep away from an early begin.

By ruling, a bunch can end any gap that they’ve began earlier than the horn sounded.

Poulter subsequently sprinted around the lake on the well-known par-three seventeenth gap to cheers from the group, claiming a speedy birdie earlier than working to the 18th tee field.

Having alerted the group in entrance of him — who moved to the facet of the golf green — he smashed his drive on the ultimate gap technique to the proper, salvaging a par and ending with a one-over 73.

It is not the primary time Poulter has carried out this at TPC Sawgrass, because the Englishman sprinted around the seventeenth in 2011.

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Poulter, Pat Perez and Jhonattan Vegas walk the fifth hole in the rain during the first round,

His taking part in companion Pat Perez appreciated Poulter’s hustle. And with extra poor climate scheduled for Friday, he is not predicting taking to the course.

“I am very excited, I do not suppose we’ll play tomorrow,” Perez mentioned. “It is good, it is good. Now I haven’t got to do s**t tomorrow. It is good.”

Perez added: “Poulter simply mentioned I am working. He is carried out it earlier than. God bless him … I informed him, I’d have had a coronary heart assault working across the water.”

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