Tommy Fleetwood, Tom Hoge share early lead at suspended Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Tommy Fleetwood narrowly qualified for The Players Championship and then endured a long, wet start at the TPC Sawgrass with a 6-under 66 to share the early lead with Pebble Beach winner Tom Hoge.

Where that leaves them after the opening round could take time to determine.

The PGA Tour enjoyed ideal weather with no delays for nine weeks in four states across five time zones to start the year. And then for its premier championship, it barely got started.

More than an inch of overnight rain delayed the start by an hour. Storms in the area resulted in another delay of more than four hours.

Delay: Start of first round delayed one hour due to overnight rain and thunderstorms and began at 7:45 a.m.First suspension: First round was suspended at 11 a.m. due to dangerous weather in area and resumed at 3:14 p.m.Second suspension: Due to darkness, first round was suspended at 6:36 p.m. 69 of 72 players in the morning wave completed first round. 60 of 72 players in afternoon wave began first round Thursday (none completed).Friday schedule: First round scheduled to resume at 7:15 a.m. on Friday. First wave of second-round tee times is scheduled for approximately 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Rainfall: 1.30 inches overnight before play Thursday; 0.45 inches during the suspension — PGA Tour

Fleetwood, a Ryder Cup star in Paris in 2018 who has gone two years since his last victory, returned from the long delay to complete a string of three straight birdies around the turn and then kept his round together with two big putts, one for par and another for birdie.

Hoge had an eagle on the par-5 second hole, his 11th of the round, and shot 31 on the front nine to join him in the clubhouse at 66.

Keith Mitchell was poised to join