Van Rooyen two shots off the pace as Crowe storms into Austin Championship lead
Erik van Rooyen is just two shots off the lead after an impressive opening round at the PGA Tour's Austin Championship in Texas on Thursday.
Crowe maintains Austin Championship lead as van Rooyen stays in contention
The American was 3 under for his round and 13 under for the tournament when officials halted play due to darkness, with 16 players still on the course.
Crowe, who opened the tournament with a career-low 62, had just hit his tee shot on the par-three 17th at the Fazio Canyons Course at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa.
The remaining players will resume their second rounds at 7:00am local time on Saturday, with the third round scheduled to begin at 8:40am.
Crowe is seeking his maiden PGA Tour victory and holds a one-shot lead over Taiwan's Kevin Yu, who carded a second successive 66 to move to 12 under par.
Brian Harman and Norway's Kristoffer Ventura are tied for third at 11 under, with Harman shooting 66 and Ventura recording a 67.
South Africa's Erik van Rooyen is among a group tied for sixth at 10 under after a second-round 70. England's Jordan Smith, Finland's Sami Valimaki and American Neal Shipley share the position, with Shipley still having two holes to complete.
The inaugural Austin Championship is the penultimate tournament of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Fall series, with plenty at stake for players looking to secure their playing privileges for 2027.
Crowe entered the week 117th in the standings but is projected to climb to 63rd if he wins. Yu, meanwhile, started the tournament 99th and could move up to 70th if current results hold.
The Taiwanese golfer is also looking to secure his future on tour, with his two-year exemption from winning the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship expiring at the end of this season.
"If you think about it, it's definitely a lot of pressure, but on the golf course pressure's not going to do anything good to you," Yu said.
"On the course I'm trying to be, just be myself on the course, try to hit good golf shots. If I just keep hitting good golf shots, the good golf is going to take care of itself."
The projected cut line stood at four under par, although it could still change, with the top 65 players and ties advancing to the weekend.
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