Rookie Loupe takes lead at rainy Pebble Beach

AFP/Pebble Beach, Califronia

Loupe was headed to the first tee early Thursday just 39 minutes into the first round when play was suspended because of standing water on some of the greens on the three courses in use for the first three rounds of the tournament. After a delay of almost three hours, play got underway and Loupe was able to get into the clubhouse with a career-best round that gave him an unexpected two-stroke lead. Forty players failed to finish and were to return early yesterday to complete their rounds.

“I just keep telling myself, you’re supposed to be here, you’re going to play good, just keep playing,” said Loupe, who had eight birdies and no bogeys. “And this is just one round, guys, you know, but I feel good.”

Loupe, 25, had only broken 70 once in 11 previous rounds on the US PGA Tour. In five prior starts this season he has yet to make a cut. He only secured his card with an equal sixth-place finish in the final event last season of the Web.com Tour’s Finals series.

Jimmy Walker, who leads the tour’s Fed Ex Cup playoff standings, was among five players tied for second on six-under par. He posted his 66 on the par-72 Pebble Beach Golf Links, where tomorrow’s final round will be held after everyone in the field plays one round at the par-71 Monterey Peninsula, par-72 Pebble and par-72 Spyglass Hill.

Australians Stuart Appleby and Scott Gardiner and Americans Jim Renner and Richard H Lee all carded six-under 65s at Monterey. Jordan Spieth fired a bogey-free 67 at Spyglass and was tied at five-under with Robert Streb, Brian Harman and European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley of Ireland.

Streb and McGinley posted 67s at Pebble Beach while Harman’s 66 came at Monterey Peninsula. Four-time tournament winner Phil Mickelson was among those who failed to complete their rounds. He was five-under thorugh 15 holes.

Joint leader Molinari getting his mojo back

Former Ryder Cup player Edoardo Molinari led the way alongside Briton Craig Lee after the second round of the Joburg Open yesterday.

The Italian, who made his Ryder Cup debut in Wales in 2010 but missed out two years later in Chicago, carded a four-under 68 on the East Course to join Lee (67) on 11-under 132 at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Club. The competitors are playing two courses this week, the par-72 East and par-71 West.

Molinari has struggled with injury in the last couple of seasons but recent performances seem to suggest he is getting back to his best. “I drove the ball really well,” he said. “I’ve been driving the ball like that for the last few months and it’s making a big difference because I am hitting a couple of clubs less than I am used to and most times I am on the fairway.

A blistering best of the day 63 by David Horsey helped the Briton move into joint third place on 133 with South African George Coetzee (68) at the European Tour event.

Defending champion Richard Sterne of South Africa missed the cut after finishing on 141.