Newlywed Mullinax grabs lead at Puerto Rico Open

MIAMI: Five days after marrying his high school sweetheart, American rookie Trey Mullinax fired a bogey-free nine-under par 63 to seize a one-stroke lead Thursday at the storm-hit Puerto Rico Open.

Mullinax, who married Abi Essman in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, matched the best opening round in tournament history with his lowest PGA round to seize a one-stroke lead over compatriot D.A. Points.

Lightning halted the first round of the US PGA Tour event with 36 players still on the course, the nearest of them to the lead being American Jonathan Randoph at sixunder with three holes remaining.

Final groups will complete their opening round Friday morning and then move into the second round at the event, a chance for tour lesser lights while top-ranked talent competes at the World Golf Championships Match-Play event in Austin, Texas.

Mullinax began on the back nine with three consecutive birdies and added another at the par-5 15th. He added back-to-back birdies to open his second nine, two more at four and five and his last at the seventh.

Despite not playing for six weeks, Points also had a bogey-free round starting off the 10th tee. He opened and closed with birdies in going 4under on the back side, then added birdies at three and seven before holing out from the fairway at the ninth for an eagle from 146 yards with a 9-iron to finish on Millinax's heels.

Points, 40, seeks his third PGA title after the 2011 Pebble Beach ProAm and 2013 Houston Open.