Madison, MS – Jason Bohn used a strong back nine Thursday to card an 8-under 64, and is at the top of the leaderboard at the suspended True South Classic.
The first round was suspended early in the afternoon because of a dangerous weather situation, and Annandale Golf Club was drenched by more than an inch of rain, according to the PGA Tour.
Play was called at 6:13 p.m. (et), and is scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m. on Friday. A total of 65 players still have to finish their first rounds, some of whom got through only a few holes Thursday.
Defending champion Chris Kirk will have a lot of golf to play Friday, but is in good position after reaching minus-4 through seven holes before the delay hit.
The very top of the leaderboard, though, is crowded. Luke Guthrie fired a 7- under 65 and sits in second place by himself, while five share third place at 6-under 66 -- J.J. Killeen, Steve Lowery, Ryuji Imada, Jason Gore and Willie Wood.
With the PGA's best across the Atlantic at the British Open, Bohn made the most of soft conditions suitable for scoring. He was in one of the first groups to hit the course early in the morning, starting at hole No. 1, and had just one birdie in his first seven holes.
But he sank birdies and eight and nine to make the turn at minus-3, then maintained the momentum on the back nine. On greens Bohn called "some of the best" the PGA Tour has had, he rolled in birdies at 11 and 12.
That put him at 5-under, and he also birdied 14, 16 and 18 to close his bogey- free round.
"You could see early the guys were shooting good numbers early, and you just know you kind of had to keep your foot down on the pedal and keep flying at the flagstick," Bohn said.
A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, Bohn has not played especially well this year. He tied for ninth at the Byron Nelson Championship, but that was his only top-10. In 19 starts before this week, Bohn made the cut only eight times.
"I kept telling myself, you know, I'm going to play some good rounds," Bohn said. "I've just got to take the bad rounds that I play and just make them not so bad. So I was able to get off to a great start today, but it's a long way till the end."
Like Bohn, Guthrie didn't have a bogey. He began at the 10th tee and made four birdies before turning, then three after.
One of Bohn's playing partners was Imada, who birdied two of his first three holes before stumbling to a bogey at No. 4. But he followed that up with a birdie, and made four more to gain a share of third place.
Behind that group are six players tied for eighth. Marco Dawson, Bud Cauley, Roberto Castro, Russell Knox, Will Claxton and Jonathan Randolph all carded 5- under 67s on Thursday.
NOTES: The delay lasted 2 hours, 45 minutes...Guthrie is playing in just his third PGA Tour event...Kris Blanks did not start his round, while Morris Hatalsky and Colt Knost both withdrew.
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