Ryan Fox has made a strong start to the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles sitting in the top five before poor light stopped play on the opening day.
In the second signature event of the PGA season at the iconic Riviera Country Club, featuring a $33.5m prize purse, Fox startedwith a birdie at the opening hole before heavy rain postponed the round.
After weather cleared, Fox birdied the second hole with another putt from outside 15 feet (4.5m) before a bogey at the par three fourth halted his hot start. But Fox bounced back with a third birdie at the seventh hole to go out in a two-under 33.
The world No 49 again started strong going birdie-birdie to start the back nine and move within a shot of early leaders Rory McIlroy and Jacob Bridgeman. The birdie at the 11th for Fox coming from a chip-in off the green at the par five after he was forced to hit his second sideways onto the fairway because of finding the trees with his drive.
A second bogey at the 15th was quickly wiped out by a birdie at the next hole before Fox finished with a 67, leaving him in fourth.
Englishman Aaron Rai moved ahead of McIlroy and Bridgeman with two late birdies, getting to six-under through 16 holes before the first round was suspended again for the day.
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler struggled, at five-over through 10 needing to finish his first round tomorrow, although there is no cut.
The winner takes home $6.7m (US$4m) with the top five likely earning around $1m.
