'Happy with my work' – Tommy Fleetwood weathers storm to lead Players Championship after four-hour rain delay

Tommy Fleetwood produced seven birdies as a six-under par 66 helped him revel in a share of the lead at the 49th Players Championship after a testing opening day blighted by rain delays. The Southport man was joined at the top of the Players leaderboard by American Tom Hoge, who also enjoyed an eagle on the 2nd hole after sinking birdies on the 12th and 16th having started at the 10th tee.

Ad/> Pebble Beach Pro-Am winner Hoge made further birdies on the 5th, 7th and 9th with his solitary bogey coming on the iconic par-three 17th. The Players ChampionshipWhat is the richest event in golf? Why Players Championship is worth more than the majorsYESTERDAY AT 22:32 Fleetwood had earlier began his quest to become the first Englishman to claim the title at Sawgrass and a $3.6m first prize, the richest in golf, with birdies on the 11th, 16th and 18th after going out from the 10th.

Heavy overnight rain had delayed the start of the first round by an hour as the 144-man field were forced to contend with the unpredictable skies overhead. /> With play suspended at 11:15am local time (-5 hrs GMT), Fleetwood returned to the sodden Stadium Course over four hours later unperturbed as a third straight birdie on the 2nd catapulted him into the outright lead on five under after moving to minus four with a birdie on the opening hole.

Further birdies on the 5th and 8th consolidated his position at the top of the leaderboard with a bogey on the par-4 6th his only mishap of an otherwise glorious day out in between the heavy thunderstorms. It was one more than the 65 he shot to lead the tournament after the first round in 2019.