Rory McIlroy nearly holes out for albatross with 270-yard fairway wood

“I’m not going to make any excuses”, Spieth said.

The former supermarket shelf-stacker found more sand off the tee on the third and dragged his second shot into thick rough, but saved par after an excellent pitch to remain tied for the lead. “It will be a bit of a sprint to the finish”.

The competition between Europe and the USA, dubbed “the Rider Cup”, was eventually won by Spieth and Fowler.

World number one Spieth bogeyed the fourth and fifth, but birdied the 10th to ease concerns about missing the cut in his first regular European Tour event.

Jordan Spieth of the United States strikes the ball at the 18th fairway during the round one of Abu … He searched for his ball in two separate bushes – McIlroy even came to help him – but had to reload.

“It wasn’t great to see”, McIlroy said.

“I’m just trying to kick on”.

Champions: Duffy Waldorf shot bogey-free 7-under 65 for 132 through two days to lead the season-opening Mitsubishi Championship in Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii. This time, it has happened earlier – and it was Sullivan who imploded.

DeChambeau is the 2015 US Amateur and NCAA champion who plays with a home-made set of irons that are all the same length, explaining his self-styled nickname “The Golf Scientist”.

First round leader, Bryson DeChambeau, managed to negotiate his first nine holes in one under par to move to a nine under total before play was halted.

“I couldn’t hole from outside two feet so I thought I’d hit a couple of shots within two feet on the last two holes”. “We both have a similar sense of humour, although Darren obviously enjoys taking the mick out of a short, fat guy”, Sullivan said.

Resuming on six under, McIlroy, 26, must have fancied his chances of reeling in Sullivan, but the Northern Irishman struggled with the putter. McIlroy made 12 pars and had a bogey on No. 9 after pushing his drive toward the rocks next to a lake. Both were only able to fit 13 holes before play was suspended for the day because of darkness.

Play began at 10:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), nearly three hours behind schedule, with 60 golfers – including four of the world’s top six – still to finish their second round following a similarly late start on Friday.

England’s Richard Bland who played 11 holes and had birdies on the 14th, 15th and 18 hole ended three shots away from the leader alongside Thomas Bjorn.

That left him with 5-wood from 268 yards and, considering the ball was slightly below his feet, the world No 3 produced an early contender for “Shot of the Year” with his approach.