Shane Lowry of Ireland was still clinging to a one-stroke lead over Trey Mullinax when darkness halted play in the rain-delayed second round of the 51st RBC Heritage.
Lowry, who opened with a 6-under-par 65 that put him on top of the leaderboard, was 3-under for the day through 16 holes and 9-under for the tournament when play was stopped at Harbour Town Golf Links at Sea Pines Resort www.seapines.com/golf/harbour-town-golf-links.aspx in Hilton Head Island, S.C.
The 32-year-old Lowry has four victories in his pro career, including the 2019 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on the PGA Tour, and captured the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January.
Lowry again made birdies on all three par-5 holes and, in fact, his tap-in birdie on the par-5 No. 15 gave him the overnight lead. He made his first and so far only bogey of the tournament when he three-putted the par-3 seventh hole, missing his par putt from seven feet.
There was a delay of 3 hours, 43 minutes caused by heavy storms earlier in the day.
Mullinax, who opened with a 66, followed that up with a 68 that included three birdies on the last five holes of the front nine, while top-ranked Dustin Johnson and Emiliano Grillo are two strokes back in a tie for third at 7-under after identical starts of 68-67.
Grillo made the shot of the tournament when he holed his second shot from 254 yards for a double eagle on the par-5 fifth hole.
“It was a perfect shot,” said Grillo, who also holed a 37-yard chip shot on his final hole, No. 9. “Perfect distance. Perfect everything. Perfect wind. It was one of those that was good, but you never expect it go in.”
C.T. Pan of Taiwan posted a bogey-free 65 and is another shot back in a tie for fifth with Rory Sabbatini of Slovakia, who had a 69, while Charley Hoffman of Poway shot 69 and is four behind in a tie for seventh with Ian Poulter (67) of England, Sam Burns (70), Scott Piercy (70), Rafa Cabrera Bello (69) of Spain, Billy Horschel (70), Jason Kokrak (68) and Ryan Palmer (71).
Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, who won the tournament in 2013, was 2-under for the day through 13 holes and also in the tie for seventh with K.J. Choi of South Korea, who was 4-under for his round after 14, and Troy Merritt, who was 3-under through 12.
Matt Kuchar, the 2015 champion, is tied for 18th after a second 69, two-time champion Boo Weekley totaled 70 and is tied for 29th, while defending champion Satoshi Kodaira of Japan finished at 68 and is in a tie for 51st that includes ninth-ranked Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego State, who wound up at 70.
Eighth-ranked Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis shot 73 and is one stroke outside the cut-line in a tie for , while seventh-ranked Francesco Molinari of Italy is even for the round after 12 holes and 3-over for the tournament, and two-time Heritage champ Jim Furyk is 4-over for his round through and 5-over overall through 14, both in danger of missing the cut.
For complete results, visit https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html
