Two weather delays on Thursday cut short the first day of the Regions Tradition at Greystone Golf and Country Club, with Padraig Harrington and Chris DiMarco at -7 at the end of Thursday's play. He is tied for first in score.
Harrington and DiMarco each went through 13 holes before experiencing a second delay and play was permanently halted late in the afternoon. DiMarco started on the front nine and Harrington on the back nine.
Harrington had four birdies in a row from the 13th hole to the 16th hole, then another birdie on the 18th hole, then turned and birdied the second and third holes. In total, he had seven birdies in nine holes.
Other than consecutive birdies on the fourth to sixth holes, DiMarco played consistently without making the same type of runs as Harrington.
Harrington and DiMarco had no bogeys on the holes they finished Thursday.
Harrington and DiMarco are two shots behind the next closest golfer, with the four-way tie at -5.
Two-time defending champion Steve Stricker is four shots behind the leader, but has only completed 11 holes.
But the talking point on the first day of the tournament was the weather. Thursday's start was delayed by three hours due to severe thunderstorms that moved through Birmingham and much of northern Alabama.
The first tee time was originally set for 9:30 a.m. Thursday, but no golfers entered the course until 12:30 p.m. The final group started their round at 2:42 p.m.
The late start made it unlikely that the later groups would finish the round before sunset anyway, but the second delay ensured that.
At 4:46 p.m., play was suspended due to another lightning delay as a small storm passed just south of downtown Birmingham. The impact caused lightning to strike around the course, which quickly caused a downpour, further flooding the already drenched course. Play did not resume Thursday after that suspension.
The wet golf course allowed many golfers to play aggressively, resulting in red numbers on many scorecards. Of the 78 golfers, 55 have scores of even par or better.
None of the 78 golfers completed their first round heading into Thursday night. The first group advanced to the 16th hole. Play will resume at 8 a.m. Friday.
The National Weather Service predicts a 30% chance of thunderstorms in Birmingham by 7 a.m. Friday, with a chance of fog by 8 a.m., but as the day progresses the afternoon It is expected to clear up as the weather clears up. Friday's high temperature is expected to be 79 degrees Fahrenheit.
Below is the complete list of the top 10 at the end of Thursday's suspended first round.
| position | golfer | Score | Through (* indicates 10th tee start) |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | padraig harrington | -7 | 13 |
| T1 | chris dimarco | -7 | 13* |
| T3 | steve fresh | -Five | 16 |
| T3 | vijay singh | -Five | 11* |
| T3 | rod pump ring | -Five | 11* |
| T3 | Ye Yang | -Five | 11* |
| T7 | Shane Birch | -Four | 15 |
| T7 | Li Jianzhen | -Four | 15* |
| T7 | Marco Dawson | -Four | 12 |
| T7 | Ernie Els | -Four | 12* |
Matt Cohen covers sports. AL.com. You can follow him at X. @Matt_Cohen_ or email him mcohen@al.com
