Murphy leads weather-plagued event in Columbus

Columbus, OH – Trevor Murphy fired an 8-under 63 on Thursday to take the lead during the suspended first round of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Invitational.

Heavy storms ravaged The OSU Golf Club mid-afternoon Thursday and play was stopped at 3:36 p.m. ET. Half of the field had yet to complete round one and one hour later, after water puddled on the course, the round was suspended.

The first round will resume at 7:30 a.m. Friday.

James Sacheck shot a 5-under 66 and is second.

Michael Putnam, Steve Allan and Aron Price each posted rounds of 4-under 67 in round one. They were joined in a tie for third with Robert Streb, who completed seven holes of his opening round.

It was not a pristine round from Murphy on Thursday. He hit only five fairways, but needed only 23 putts. He played one hole down the wrong fairway on purpose, hit the flagstick with an 8-iron approach, holed out from a bunker and chipped in for birdie at the last.

"It was just a strange day. I've shot even or over-par and hit it better than I did today," said Murphy. "I missed it in the right spots off the tee where I could hit a shot around some trees and get it up on the green and make a putt. My wedges were great. When I did hit the fairway I hit it pretty close. And putting, I made so many putts."

Murphy is making only his second start of 2012 on the Web.com Tour. He lost his card last year when he finished 102nd on the money list.

"Last year I had a great opportunity to play out here and I wasn't playing well," admitted Murphy. "I wasn't enjoying it like I should have."

Casey Wittenberg, who is second on the tour's money list, shot a 3-under 68 and is tied for seventh with Peter Lonard, Doug LaBelle II, Jerod Turner, Fernando Mechereffe and Sam Saunders. Bubba Dickerson is 3-under and made the turn when the horn sounded.

NOTES: Murphy's 63 matched the tournament record set by Jonathan Kaye in the opening round last year, then equaled by Sacheck in the third round...This is the fourth straight year that thunderstorms have impacted play.