WINNIPEG, MB -- Chris Wall posted a 4-under 67 on Thursday to lead during the suspended first round of the MTS Classic at Pine Ridge Golf & Country Club.
There were three different weather stoppages on Thursday, totaling almost three hours worth of delays. That led play to be suspended due to darkness with the remaining players coming back at 8:30 a.m. (et) Friday morning to complete the first round. The second round will go off as scheduled.
Wil Collins, Bryan DeCorso, Steve Friesen, Kent Fukushima, Darren Griff and Dan Roberts are knotted in second place at 3-under-par 68.
Dave McMillan carded a 3-under 68, but was disqualified for not signing his scorecard.
Wall tallied seven birdies to start his round, then collected his first birdie at the par-5 eighth. He dropped a shot at the 11th, but birdied two in a row from the 12th to get to 2 under par for the championship.
He birdied the par-5 15th to reach minus-3, then hit his approach to nine feet at the 17th. Wall had to wait out the first weather suspension, almost 80 minutes, before he drained the birdie putt.
Wall hit two more shots, before the horn sounded again. At the 18th, after play resumed, Wall chipped close and tapped in the short par putt to take sole possession of the lead.
‘It was tough, but I knew I had a good one going,’ said Wall, who also coaches at the University of New Mexico. ‘It’s hard when you are grinding it out and then you get delays. But that’s golf. It gives you time to sit in the clubhouse, have a drink and collect your thoughts. That’s the way it goes.’
Brien Davis, Mike Grob, Wes Heffernan, Stuart Hendley, Rusty Kennedy, Jim Lemon and Jim Seki are in the clubhouse at two-under-par 69. Bryan Conway, Vince Covello and amateur Peter More are at 2 under par, but remain on the course.
Defending champion Lee Williamson opened with a 2-over-par 73.
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