Expectant father Peter Malnati started strong and shot seven-under 65 to lead at the Houston Open after morning rain and lightning prevented the second round from being completed on Friday (Saturday AEDT).
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First round co-leader Austin Cook, who opened with an eight-under 64, briefly got to 11-under before dropping all the way to six-under through 15 holes before play was suspended due to darkness at 7pm (local time).
Talor Gooch, who started the day tied with Cook, improved to nine-under through 14 holes and is a shot behind Malnati's 10-under lead.
32-year-old Malnati, who has been playing professionally since 2009 and has one career PGA Tour title, is expecting the birth of his first child in two weeks and said it's been "a distraction because my head's back home".
"But this week I told myself, 'Dude, this is your last tournament before you become a dad. Do something with it'," he said.
Malnati, who managed a first-round 69 after missing the cut in his last two tournaments, teed off early in what he called "summertime" conditions - humid and dead calm before bad weather suspended play for over two hours.
He took advantage with three birdies and an eagle. A couple of underwhelming wedge shots may have cost him back-nine birdies.
"I got to play the first five holes in perfect conditions and really took advantage of it," he said.
"I then came back out and was able to keep the momentum going. To make no bogeys in the conditions we played is really more than I could have ever hoped for. I played the last 13 holes wishing I had hand-warmers. The wind was certainly a two or three club wind."
Although his wife, Alicia, isn't due for another two weeks, he conceded he's already "fully on call".
Only four of the top 10 players on the leaderboard have completed 36 holes. Sepp Straka is in at eight-under, and Carlos Ortiz and Mark Hubbard are seven-under. Straka is tied with Nick Watney (14 holes) and Lanto Griffin (13).
No Australians are above the projected cut (E), although Aaron Baddeley (who is on the 13th hole) and Rhein Gibson (yet to tee off) still have holes to play on scores of one-over and two-over, respectively.
John Senden (five-over), Robert Allenby and Cameron Davis (both eight-over) have finished the second round and won't be making the cut.
Australian Associated Press
