Loupe leaps into lead

US PGA Tour rookie Andrew Loupe fired an eight-under 63 at Monterey Peninsula yesterday morning (Singapore time) to grab the lead at the rain-hit Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Loupe was heading to the first tee just 39 minutes into the first round when play was suspended because of standing water on some of the greens on the three courses in use for the first three rounds of the tournament.

After a delay of almost three hours, play got underway and Loupe was able to get into the clubhouse with a career-best round that gave him an unexpected two-stroke lead.

FAILED TO FINISH

Forty players failed to finish and were to return this morning to complete their rounds.

"I just keep telling myself, 'You're supposed to be here, you're going to play good, just keep playing'," said Loupe, who had eight birdies and no bogeys.

"And this is just one round, guys, you know, but I feel good."

Loupe, 25, had broken 70 only once in 11 previous rounds on the PGA Tour. In five prior starts this season, he has yet to make a cut.

He secured his card only with an equal sixth-placed finish in the final event last season of the Web.com Tour's Finals series.

Jimmy Walker, who leads the Tour's FedEx Cup play-off standings, was among five players tied for second on six under.

He posted his 66 on the par-72 Pebble Beach Golf Links, where Monday morning's final round will be held after everyone in the field plays one round at the par-71 Monterey Peninsula, par-72 Pebble and par-72 Spyglass Hill.

Australians Stuart Appleby and Scott Gardiner and Americans Jim Renner and Richard H Lee all carded six-under 65s at Monterey.

Jordan Spieth fired a bogey-free 67 at Spyglass and was tied on five under with Robert Streb, Brian Harman and European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley of Ireland.

Streb and McGinley posted 67s at Pebble Beach while Harman's 66 came at Monterey Peninsula. - AFP.

GOLF