Palm Harbour, Florida; Kuala Lumpur: Bart Bryant held a one-shot lead in the rain-disrupted first round of the $5.3 million USPGA Tour event here on Thursday.
Bryant posted a six-under-par 65 at the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club, holing six birdies - including back-to-back birdies to close his round.
Bryant had already completed his round when an afternoon thunderstorm caused a delay that eventually saw 82 golfers still on the course when darkness stopped play.
Stewart Cink, Jeff Maggert and Kenny Perry were all in the clubhouse on five-under 66, while Lee Janzen was five-under through 15 holes.
Sweden's Carl Petterson, Jonathan Byrd and Tom Pernice were all in the clubhouse at four-under, while Australians John Senden and Stuart Appleby were four-under on the course.
Fred Couples finished 2-under in his first start since being named the 2009 US Presidents Cup captain.
Defending champion Mark Calcavecchia was one-under through 13 holes when play was halted.
South African Ernie Els, who earned his first PGA Tour title since 2004 when he won the Honda Classic on Sunday, was even through six.
Birdie blitz
In Kuala Lumpur, home favourite Danny Chia carded a five-under par 67 to share the clubhouse lead with overnight leader Nick Dougherty after the second round of the rain-hit Malaysia Open yesterday.
Chia hit six birdies against one bogey to finish the day on 12-under 132. Briton Dougherty, playing in near darkness, birdied the final hole to match the Malaysian's half-way score at the Kota Permai Golf Club.
Dougherty shot two-under 70, eight strokes off the career-best 10-under-par 62 he scored on Thursday.
Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen shot 68 for a share of third on 11-under-par 133. India's Jyoti Randhawa was also on 11 under but only completed 16 holes before rain halted play for the day.
Briton Graeme McDowell (68) and Swede Peter Hedblom (68) completed their rounds and were a further stroke behind at 10-under, along with Argentina's Rafael Echenique, who managed 11 holes.
