SILVIS - Texas Wesleyan University surged into a tie for first place before inclement weather forced the suspension of play during Tuesday's opening round of the 73rd annual NAIA Men's Golf National Championship at TPC Deere Run.

The Rams carded a 2-under-par team score through 11 to 13 holes, joining Keiser University and Dalton State atop the leaderboard. All three teams were still in action when play was halted due to heavy rain and lightning, which caused multiple delays totaling over five hours.

Texas Wesleyan, currently ranked No. 6 in the nation, was making a strong early push with standout performances from Brady Meek (-4) and Colin Price (-1). None of the 78 golfers who began play Tuesday completed their round, and another 78 had not yet teed off before the tournament play was suspended.

The first round will resume at 8 a.m. CT Wednesday, with second-round play following on Thursday. Due to the delays, the championship has been shortened from 72 to 54 holes. After Thursday's round, a cut is made to determine the top 15 teams (plus ties) and the top six individuals not on advancing teams for Friday's final round.

"I was very pleased with the way we started today," Head Coach Kevin Long said. "Our team showed strong mental discipline and composure in handling the extended weather delays."

"I'm confident we'll remain committed to our process and continue to compete with poise and freedom, regardless of the circumstances," Long said.