Day overcomes stomach ailment to lead the Byron Nelson Classic

Associated Press

IRVING, TEXAS

Jason Day’s stomach was acting up while he was on the driving range Thursday morning, an angry reaction to antibiotics that are supposed to wipe out a lingering, often-misdiagnosed sinus infection.

He was thinking about withdrawing from the Byron Nelson Championship. Then he realized it looked like rain and he’d left his umbrella in the car.

Walking to the parking lot, Day pictured himself getting behind the wheel and heading to his home in Fort Worth. He ended up toughing it out, and “it was probably a good idea,” he said with a smile.

Day birdied four of his first six holes on his way to a 4-under 66 for a share of the first-round lead when play was suspended late Thursday.

The threatening skies that sent Day fetching his umbrella never actually drenched the TPC Four Seasons course, but the radar looked so scary there was a delay of 3 hours, 44 minutes.

Joe Durant finished with an eagle and a birdie to match Day at 66. Steve Elkington, Hunter Mahan and Jarrod Lyle were still on the course with scores of 4-under.

Elkington will have two holes left, Mahan three and Lyle seven when play resumes at 7:15 a.m. today, pushing back the start of the second round by an hour. Thursday’s late starters are the first to go off today, which means it will be a long day for them.

Match Play Championship

GLADSTONE, N.J.

Michelle Wie survived a tight opening match against Stacy Prammanasudh in the Sybase Match Play Championship, taking the lead with a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 16th and winning 2-up with a conceded birdie on 18.

The eighth-seeded Wie will face Hee Young Park, a 19-hole winner over Ji Young Oh, in the second round today at Hamilton Farm.

Top-seeded Jiyai Shin and No. 2 Ai Miyazato also advanced.