Los Angeles: Spain’s Jon Rahm fired a 10-under par 62 on Thursday to seize a one-stroke lead in the first round of the US PGA Tour CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, California.

Rahm, the highest-ranked player in the field at number three in the world, sizzled on the La Quinta Country Club course -- one of three in use over the first three rounds -- with eight birdies and an eagle.

He was one stroke in front of Americans Austin Cook, Jason Kokrak and Andrew Landry.

It was a further stroke back to Brandon Harkins, Martin Piller, Beau Hossler and Aaron Wise.

With back-to-back birdies to start, an eagle at the par-five fifth and birdies at six and seven Rahm was six-under through his first seven holes.

He couldn’t help but remember Canadian Adam Hadwin’s 59 on the La Quinta course last year.

“Any time you have that going for you, you get thoughts come in your head, 60, maybe 59,” Rahm said. “I knew that if I kept playing good I was going to have more birdie opportunities, and I tried not to get ahead of myself.”

Although he couldn’t break 60, Rahm was pleased with the lowest round of his career on the PGA Tour.

Kokrak seized his share of second by playing his last five holes, the fifth through ninth at La Quinta, in five-under par, with three birdies and an eagle.

Landry had five birdies and an eagle on his outward run at La Quinta and picked up two more birdies coming in while Cook fired seven birdies and an eagle on the Nicklaus Tournament course.

Play halted

Masters champion Sergio Garcia had his second round at the Singapore Open halted on Friday as a tropical storm swept across the city-state, stopping play at the Sentosa Golf Club.

World number 10 Garcia was one under par after eight holes when play was stopped by rain in the late afternoon.

Rain has disrupted play on the Serapong course for the second day running with 78 players yet to finish their round.

Play will resume early Saturday morning.

The Spaniard was off to a good start on Thursday, tieing in first place with American Kurt Kitayama with five-under-par 66.

Garcia and Kitayama are currently in joint second spot behind Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat, who managed a second round 64 to seize the clubhouse lead on seven-under 135 in the muggy heat.

“I am so happy and excited to be on top of the leaderboard. I haven’t felt this way on the golf course for so long, at least three years,” he said after his round.

Chapchai lost his Asian Tour card last season and only made this week’s field because of his career earnings.

The 34-year-old, who has been off his game in recent years, was on form Friday as he fired seven birdies to lead by one shot over compatriot Tirawat Kaewsiribandit and South Africa’s Shaun Norris.

“I hit 12 fairways and 15 greens but the ball was not close enough to the pin to give myself a chance to make (more) birdies,” Tirawat said.

Agence France-Presse