SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (Sports Network) -- A four-hour fog delay on Monday pushed back the start of the U.S. Amateur until late morning, and the first-round of stroke play was eventually suspended due to darkness with more than 150 competitors still on the course at the famed Olympic Club.
Kyle Ellis, Andy Mickelson, Nathan Tyler and Kyle Dickey each shot rounds of 2-under 68 to share a one-shot clubhouse lead.
All four played their first round at the Olympic Club's Ocean Course.
Reigning U.S. Amateur Public Links champion Colt Knost of Southern Methodist University shot a 1-under 69 on the longer Lakeside Course to lead a group of five players who finished one shot off the clubhouse lead.
He was joined at 69 by Kevin Schultz (LC), David Merkow (LC), Danny Lee (OC) and Derek Fathauer (OC). Schultz was 5 under through 15 holes before going bogey-double bogey at the 16th and 17th holes.
Parring out would have given him a three-shot clubhouse lead.
"I'm disappointed, but if you would have told me at the beginning of the day that I would be 1 under par, I would have thought that was pretty good," Schultz said.
Heavy fog delayed the start of the round until 11:00 a.m. local time, and play was suspended for the day around 8:30 p.m.
The first round is set to resume Tuesday morning at 7:30, with the second round scheduled to start two hours later than expected, or around noon local time.
U.S. Junior Amateur winner Cory Whitsett played well on Monday, leading a group of seven players who posted even-par 70s before the suspension.
Sam Saunders, the 20-year-old grandson of Arnold Palmer, was also in the mix and still on the course.
The field will be trimmed to the low 64 scores following the second round of stroke play. Match play is scheduled to begin Wednesday on the Lakeside Course and runs through the 36-hole final on Sunday.
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