SCOTTSDALE, February 3, 2012 (AFP) - Ryan Palmer finished his round of golf in fading light, shooting a seven-under 64 Thursday to take the clubhouse lead in the first round of the darkness-suspended PGA Tour's Phoenix Open.
Palmer parred the final hole just minutes before play was halted as he was one of the lucky ones to get his round completed on the TPC Scottsdale course.
"Probably about my last three or four holes, you could tell it was getting closer and closer so I was trying not to worry about it," Palmer said.
"I knew I was going to be here in the morning for the second round, so I wasn’t worried about if we had to come back and restart. So I didn’t think about it and I just kept hitting shots and sticking to my game plan.
"The last putt was a little dark I can say, but I’m glad to be done, and now I can get going in tomorrow’s routine. Instead of getting ready for one hole, I can get ready for the whole day. It’s going to be a nice night."
The start of round one was delayed an hour Thursday morning because of frost in the Arizona desert. It was a repeat of last year when frost and freezing temperatures delayed play nine hours overall, resulting in a Monday finish.
Webb Simpson, who is the top ranked golfer in the field at number six, was a stroke back.
A total of 42 players were left stranded and will be back on the course at 7:30 am local time (1430 GMT) finish off the opening round, weather permitting. Weather forecasters are calling for even chillier temperatures on Friday morning.
Among the players who will be returning to finish their first rounds are Bubba Watson, Spencer Levin and Jason Dufner, who got through 13 holes.
Defending champ Mark Wilson is one under through 16 holes and in the same group as Brant Snedeker, who won the Farmers Open last week. Snedeker is at even par.