Golf: Lightning suspends Aussie PGA

Adam Scott on the ninth hole at Royal Pines Resort. Photo / Getty Images

Australian PGA Championship officials are confident Queensland's storm season won't force the tournament into an extra day.

Play has been suspended as a storm closes in on the Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, with several players including world No.47 Marc Leishman yet to complete their opening rounds.

Heavy rain has been forecast for Friday but tournament director Andrew Langford-Jones doesn't believe there'll be a need to shorten the event to 54 holes or take it into Monday.

"The course has handled the rain beautifully," Langford-Jones said.

"We don't envisage that that will be a major problem. As long as there's an area within the bunker to drop the ball we'll be playing golf.

"We've had much worse than this, we lost Thursday in its entirety a few years ago and some of Friday and still finished 72 holes by 4pm on Sunday.

"There's no thought of it being reduced to 54 holes at this stage."

Officials sounded the siren to halt play on Thursday at the first sign of thunder and lightning.

American Boo Weekley, who finished his round earlier in the day, is the clubhouse leader after scoring a six-under par 66.

He leads by two shots from a group of players on four-under including defending champion Adam Scott and New Zealand's David Smail.

Fellow New Zealanders Ryan Fox, Josh Geary and Michael Hendry were all at two-under.

Langford-Jones said if play is unable to resume on Thursday, those players yet to complete their rounds will do so first thing on Friday morning before the second round gets underway.

-AAP