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Villegas leads rain-hit BMW Championship

06/09/2008

Colombia's Camilo Villegas leads the BMW Championship by one stroke after the first round of the rain-hit tournament was completed on Friday.

Hurricane Gustav meant the course in St Louis was unplayable on Thursday but it was Villegas who shone on Friday once play got underway, carding a round of five-under-par.

The 26-year-old birdied the first and went on to make four more birdies on the front nine before bogeys at the ninth and tenth holes.

Three birdies on the back nine got his round back on track and even a bogey at the last could not prevent him from leading after day one of the event.

US Ryder Cup players Steve Stricker and Kenny Perry are amongst a group of five players one shot adrift on four-under-par.

What may be more ominous for Villegas is that the likes of Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Anthony Kim are all still in contact, three shots off the lead on two-under-par.

Despite the multiple threats of the players chasing him Villegas says he feels confident about his game heading into the second round.

He said: "Sometimes you really want to be on the golf course and it's going great, and sometimes it's a grind. You've got to be ready for both. I'm excited right now. I feel really good about my golf."

On Saturday the players will complete 36 holes to try and make up for the loss of Thursday's action and allow the tournament to still finish on Sunday as scheduled.