NEW ORLEANS: Brendon de Jonge had two runs of three straight birdies Thursday en route to an eight-under 64 for a share of the lead in a rain-suspended opening round at Zurich Classic.
The 34-year-old from Zimbabwe, who is searching for his first win on the US tour, is tied with American Boo Weekley.
De Jonge has participated in over 200 tournaments and won over $10 million in his USPGA Tour career without a victory.
Canada's David Hearn fired a seven-under 65 and shares third place with Sean O'Hair, who was six-under through his first seven holes.
Erik Compton, Brian Davis, Daniel Berger, Mark Hubbard and Greg Owen are one stroke behind at six-under.
World number six Jason Day and number seven Dustin Johnson are among 12 players tied for 10th at five-under 67. Day and Johnson are the two highest ranked players in the field.
There was a 78-minute delay due to heavy rain, which forced play to be suspended with a few groups still left on the course. The first round will resume Friday morning while the second group will start as scheduled in the morning.
De Jonge played the back nine first on Thursday.
He birdied the 11th from seven feet out, then stuffed his second to the par-four 12th within a foot. After kicking that in for birdie, de Jonge made it three in a row with another tap-in birdie on number 13.
De Jonge ran home a 26-footer for birdie on the fourth to kick off a second run of three-straight birdies. His birdies at five and six came from 19 and 12 feet. De Jonge closed with three pars to finish tied with Weekley.
Weekley, a three-time winner on the USPGA Tour, drained a two-putt birdie on the par-five 11th. He rolled in a six-footer for birdie at 12 and made it three in a row with another six-foot birdie putt on the 13th.
He ran off four straight pars from the 14th. Weekley converted an 11-footer for birdie at the 18th to post 64.
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