The spotlight shone on a pair of golfers and stormy weather in the opening round of the Bay Mills Open Players' Championship in Brimley, Michigan.
Despite the attention surrounding teenage female sensation Michelle Wie, Michael Harris, a Michigan native, shot a five-under 67 on Thursday to take a two shot lead into action today at the $235,000 Canadian Tour event. Canadian Doug McGuigan and Rodney Butcher sit tied for second place.
Only 75 players in the field finished their first round as play was stopped twice due to thunderstorms in the area. The delays of nearly four hours forced play to be halted due to darkness at 8:26 p.m.
New Zealand's Paul Devenport is at five-under through 11 holes and Oshawa's Derek Gillespie sits at three-under after 12 holes.
Wie, a 13 year-old sensation from Hawaii who will enter grade nine next week, is playing in the Open on a Golf Channel exemption. In the opening round, Wie shot a two-over 75.
Wie, who finished ninth at a LPGA event earlier this year, is the third female golfer to play in a men's professional tour event this season. Both Annika Sorenstam and Suzie Whaley played in PGA events on exemptions this season.
Players will finish the first round beginning at 7:30 a.m. with the second round expected to get underway late in the morning.
The CanTour made a stop earlier this season in June at the Sault Ste. Marie Golf Club for the Northern Ontario Open. Mario Tiziani won that tournament, which was also plagued with weather difficulties, with a six shot victory.