Coceres leads as rain cuts short play

Jose Coceres waited out a lengthy rain delay and played into fading daylight Friday, taking a one-shot lead before play was suspended in the second round of the John Deere Classic.

The 40-year-old Argentine was 2 under through 11 holes for the round and was 11 under overall when play was halted because of lightning. About half of the field was to return and finish on Saturday morning before the start of the third round.

"It's not easy for any player, but you just have to accept it," he said through a translator. "I'm playing really well and concentrating very well. And I'm still leading, so I'm comfortable."

Vaughn Taylor (69) was one stroke off the lead at 132, tied with Greg Chalmers who was 3 under through 13 holes when play was called.

A group of eight was four shots off the lead.

Coceres, a former caddie who taught himself to play with clubs fashioned from branches, was the first-round leader after shooting a career-best 62. He won twice in 2001, but a broken arm wiped out most of 2002 and led to inconsistent play last year.

He got off to a good start Friday with birdies on two his first four holes. Coceres got to 12 under with a birdie on No. 10 before bogeying 11.

"I really want to have a good tournament. I'm ready," he said.

Taylor moved into a tie for the lead with a birdie on 10, but three-putted the next hole to fall a shot back. A double-bogey dropped Taylor to 7 under, but he had three birdies over the next six holes to get within a shot of Coceres.

The 28-year-old rookie, who played on the Nationwide Tour last year, finished in a tie for fifth in the FedEx St. Jude Classic. He's put himself in contention again for his first PGA tour victory.

"Hopefully I'll be more relaxed. I think more and more, (when) I'm in that position I'll get used to it," he said.

Heavy rain delayed the round nearly 3 hours, saturating the Tournament Players Club at Deere Run and making the greens almost too slow.

"I was having trouble with my speed," said Taylor, whose double-bogey came right after the delay. "I didn't want to get too aggressive and start running them by. They were definitely slower."

Vijay Singh, last year's champion, shot a 67 to move to 6-under 136 for the tournament -- though he hoped for better.

He bogeyed two of the final three holes and had another bogey on the par-3 12th. On 18, Singh hit his drive to 100 yards of the pin and had a birdie opportunity from 20 feet. Instead, he three-putted.

"It was a little disappointing. I had a chance to shoot a really low number," Singh said. "A bad way to finish."

Singh leads the tour with three victories this year.

With more rain expected, the tournament could be extended into Monday -- as it was last year.

"I'm feeling good about my game. I'm going to finish well, get some good momentum for next week," he said. "My focus is to try to go out there tomorrow and see if I can get close to the lead," Singh said.

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