EDISON, August 26, 2011 (AFP) - Defending champion Matt Kuchar birdied the 18th hole on Friday morning to seize the lead after the completion of the storm-interrupted first round of the US PGA Tour Barclays.
Kuchar stood on eight-under-par 63 to take a one-stroke edge over fellow Americans Harrison Frazar and William McGirt at the $7.5 million event, the first tournament in the season-ending play-off series on the American circuit.
A total of 51 players were forced to finish their first rounds on Friday due to storms that halted play for three hours on Thursday.
Kuchar, who began his morning with a par at the par-four 17th, fired into a bunker off the tee on the par-four 18th, then blasted out of the sand to within three feet of the pin and made his birdie putt to take the lead.
Kuchar ran off nine birdies against a lone bogey for his complete round at Planfield Country Club, then began his second round as organisers hoped to make the cut ahead of Hurricane Irene, which could hit the area over the weekend.
Frazar had reached the clubhouse on 64 on Thursday but McGirt, among the last players on the course for round one, needed to finish his final seven holes on Friday after birdies on seven of his last eight played on Thursday.
McGirt made five pars on Friday morning, stumbled with a bogey at 17 but birdied the 18th to stay one stroke off the lead.
Sharing fourth on 65 were Irishman Padraig Harrington, Fiji's Vijay Singh and Americans Jonathan Byrd and Chris Stroud.
Australians Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley joined Americans Dustin Johnson, Ryan Palmer and Charley Hoffman on 66.