The weather-plagued Genesis Open has not been unkind to all players, with Justin Thomas joining Adam Scott in front at Riviera Country Club.
Former FedExCup champion Justin Thomas and Adam Scott, winner here albeit unofficially in 2005, moved top midway through a suspended second round.
Both shot 5-under 66s in the morning – their first dart around the course because of heavy rains on Thursday – and were five-under once more despite a quick turnaround.
Plenty of golf still left in this one, but the pair will be patiently waiting to resume their second round which offers further opportunities for the field to play catch-up.
JB Holmes is one back, with American pair Luke List (15 holes) and Jordan Spieth (yet to start round two) next best at seven-under.
Tournament host Tiger Woods was left to rue a tough time on the greens during his marathon Friday. The 80-time PGA TOUR winner was forced to play 30 holes; it was the most competitive golf in one day Woods has faced since his back-fusion surgery in 2017.
Cold weather and flurries of rain certainly weren’t peak conditions for the 43-year-old, who cobbled together a 1-under 70 in his morning round before sitting even-par through 12 holes of his second round when darkness halted play.
There was little sunshine in terms of the South African performance so far.
Charl Schwartzel is +8 with just four holes left in his second round. He brings up the rear in the field and will be looking to finish up and move on speedily.
Equally unlikely to have any further involvement in the event is Louis Oosthuizen, who has 18 holes to play before the cut, but sits in 130th place after an opening 75.
Both Branden Grace and Ernie Els are level par, but the latter has just four holes left to move up above the cut line, which currently sits at one-under par.
Grace has 18 holes to play, but was left to rue two back nine bogeys that saw him surrender his earlier gains. The in-form Southern Cape star will need to improve his approach play after hitting just 50% of greens in regulation during his first round.
The best Saffa so far is rookie Dylan Frittelli, who is two better than his closest countrymen.
The Web.com Tour grad has eight holes to play in round two, and will be looking to get his tournament back on track as he sits +1 in his second effort around Riviera.
His first was an exhibition of putting as he did not miss inside 10 feet. The two-time European Tour winner missed just two greens in regulation after failing to find five fairways.
Frittelli’s form certainly provides a silver lining on a rather cloudy display by the South Africans this week.
