Summerhays Leads in Mississippi


Daniel Summerhays came out firing in the first round of the Sanderson Farms Championship. The 29-year-old from Utah, who held the 54-hole lead in last week's John Deere Classic but missed out on a three-way sudden-death playoff by a stroke, carded a 9-under 63 to take the lead in the $3 million PGA Tour event at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Miss.

Summerhays posted seven birdies and an eagle - on the par-5 18th (his ninth hole of the day) - for a three-stroke lead over Will Claxton, Michael Bradley, Jonathan Randolph, Paul Stankowski and William McGirt.

The first round was suspended later in the day when lightning and heavy rain descended on the course. Many players hadn't completed their first rounds, which are expected to resume Friday morning and will be, weather permitting, followed by the second round.

"You have to enjoy these moments," Summerhays said of his recent fine play. "Sometimes we take good golf for granted and you forget how hard this game is. It can be a really hard game, so I'm just soaking it in. I'm really excited about where my game is at and I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things on the weekend and testing myself again."

Even though he finished fourth in the Deere, won by Jordan Spieth, Summerhays came away pleased. "You take all the positives," added the former BYU player, who's still searching for his first Tour title. "I shot 18-under par for 72 holes and was standing on the 18th fairway with a chance to win the golf tournament.

"That can only breed confidence . . . When you're driving the ball well and hitting your wedges well and feel like you can make almost any putt, it's a really fun game."

For updated scoring, visit http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/sanderson-farms-championship/leaderboard.html.