Lingmerth grabs lead before lightning stops play in Reno

[July 26, 2019]    (Reuters) - Swede David Lingmerth fed off his friendly pairing with American Robert Streb to charge to a clubhouse lead at the end of the truncated first day of the Barracuda Championship in Reno on Thursday.

Sweden's David Lingmerth during the final round Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith/File Photo

Lingmerth made a blistering start with nine birdies at the Montreux Golf & Country Club on a day when play was brought to a halt by lightning with more than a third of the field yet to complete their rounds.

The event is played under the modified Stableford format, and awards eight points for an albatross, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, and subtracts a point for bogey and three for double-bogeys or worse.

Lingmerth accumulated a tally of 18 points for the lead, while his good friend Streb was tied for second on 13 along with Tom Hoge and Tyrone Van Aswegen when the players were called from the course.

"I played really solid golf. I never got into any trouble - it was a nice relaxed round," Lingmerth told reporters.

"It was fun playing with a friend and we both played really well."

Two-time major champion John Daly is competing with an exemption to use a golf cart because of a right knee condition. The 53-year-old made four bogeys to just one birdie and was on minus two points.

(Reporting by Jahmal Corner, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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