Kuchar made a birdie on his first hole after the first round resumed Friday morning, and his 5-under 67 gives him a one-stroke lead over a group that includes three-time major winner Ernie Els and Bubba Watson. Two-time major winner Angel Cabrera was still on the course at 4 under.

Tiger Woods is four strokes off the lead at 1 under. But his 71 on Thursday was still cause for small celebration: It was the first time in eight rounds that Woods had broken par, and he made a brief appearance on the leaderboard after three birdies in his first four holes.

Half the 156-player field had to come back Friday morning to finish the first round after darkness halted play Thursday night. But just as it did Thursday morning, fog delayed play for about three hours Friday.

"I'm not a big fan of less than eight hours' sleep, and it was 5 1/2 last night," Kuchar said. "I never wake up in the best of spirits, so (the delay) was just some extra time to kind of get my body back in sync again."

His time on the range worked.

Picking up on the par-4 No. 6, Kuchar birdied it and played his last three holes at par to preserve the lead. He finished the first round with an eagle - he holed out from 124 yards out on the fairway early in his round - four birdies and just one bogey.

"I was very impressed. Very impressed," playing partner and European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie said. "He handled himself very well."

Els is desperate to make sure another year doesn't end without a major, and has to be happy being only one stroke off the lead. He'll be even happier if he can get his second round in Friday.

Second-round tee times were pushed back four hours, making it unlikely everyone will get in 18 holes Friday. Woods, for example, isn't scheduled to tee off until almost 7 p.m. EDT.

"Hopefully we can get 18 holes done. Then it's a real winner, then you can put your feet up," the big South African said. "We've got a ways to go."

Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, finds himself always away from the leaders.

He has failed in his first two months' of opportunities to take the No. 1 ranking from Woods, but he has another chance at Whistling Straits. Lefty went backward when he got back on the course Friday morning, though, and was at 1 over.