CARMEL, Ind. -- Roberto Castro wants nothing more than to go home to Atlanta, and he took a soggy step in the right direction Thursday in the BMW Championship.
Castro was just as good before the rain as he was after the storms cleared at Crooked Stick, running off eight birdies until a bogey on his last hole for a 7-under 65 and the temporary lead.
Storms and heavy rain caused a 3½-hour delay and changed the nature of the course from fast and firm to greens that were soft and accessible. The delay meant that just under half of the 69-man field finished the round.
The first round was to resume at 8 a.m. today, with more bad weather in the forecast.
Brian Harman got right back into gear. He was in position to potentially lock up his spot in the Tour Championship until closing with a 77 from the final group at the TPC Boston on Monday. He opened with a 66, with an eagle on the par-5 15th hole and no bogeys on his card.
U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson was within one shot of the lead until he sent his drive into the lake to the right of the 18th fairway and made bogey, giving him a 67 along with Jason Dufner.
Among those still on the course, Chris Kirk was at 5 under at the turn, while Hideki Matsuyama, Paul Casey and Adam Scott were at 4 under on the back nine. Casey had the 54-hole lead last week at the TPC Boston.
David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) had an even-par round through nine holes.
The BMW Championship is back at Crooked Stick for the first time since 2012, when Rory McIlroy won on a rain-softened course. This time, it was blazing hot during the pro-am Wednesday and players had a look at how tough it could play -- at least until the rain.
Jason Day played a wedge out of the rough on the second hole, landed it some 30 feet short of the pin and watched it race across the green and into thick rough. After the delay, it was an entirely different golf course. Patrick Reed, who is leading the FedEx Cup, hit a short iron out of dense rough that plopped down 12 feet from the cup.
The course could be attacked, and that's what the players did.
McIlroy, coming off a victory at the TPC Boston, was at 3 under through 10 holes. Jordan Spieth was at 2 under, both birdies on par 5s on the front nine.
But it was another struggle for Rickie Fowler, bidding for a Ryder Cup captain's pick. Fowler squandered a chance at victory and an automatic spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team during the first round of the playoffs at The Barclays, Fowler was in the middle of the pack at the Deutsche Bank Championship and opened the BMW Championship with a 75.
Bubba Watson, also hopeful of a captain's pick, was 1 under through 13 holes. He followed three consecutive birdies with three consecutive bogeys on the front nine.
WEB.COM
Wyatt leads by 1
BEACHWOOD, Ohio -- Bobby Wyatt took a one-stroke lead over Bryson DeChambeau in the rain-delayed DAP Championship, the inaugural tournament that opens the four-event Web.com Tour Finals.
Wyatt closed with a birdie for a 7-under 63 at Canterbury Golf Club. DeChambeau, the former SMU player who swept the 2015 NCAA and U.S. Amateur titles, birdied the final two holes for a 64.
D.A. Points and Zack Sucher shot 65. None of the afternoon starters were able to complete the round that was delayed for more than three hours because of rain and suspended for the day at 6:58 p.m. when another storm rolled in.
The four-event series features the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup standings and non-members such as Wyatt and DeChambeau who earned enough money to have placed in the top 200 had they been eligible.
Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Arkansas Razorbacks) and Tag Ridings (Razorbacks) were both at 1-over 71. Matt Atkins (Henderson State) and Sebastian Cappelen (Razorbacks) were both at 3-over 73. Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) was 2 under after 8 holes. Zack Fischer (Little Rock) was 1 over after 8 holes.
EUROPEAN
Evans out front
SPIJK, Netherlands -- Ben Evans had five birdies in his first six holes and finished with a 6-under 65 at The Dutch for a one-stroke lead in the KLM Open.
Dutch amateur Rowin Caron was a stroke back along with Mikko Korhonen, Bernd Wiesberger, Peter Hanson, Byeong Hun An, Joakim Lagergren, Nino Bertasio and Chris Hanson.
Defending champion Thomas Pieters, the Belgian player selected as European Ryder Cup captain's pick, pulled out of the tournament after being stung by a bee this week.
Sports on 09/09/2016