Golf-Wilkinson leads storm-hit Australian PGA

SYDNEY, Dec 4 (Reuters) - New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson shot a six-under-par 66 to grab the early lead at the Australian PGA championship on Thursday before a wild storm brought the opening round to a premature halt.

The left-hander carded seven birdies against one bogey to reach the clubhouse one stroke clear of Australia's former U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy and New Zealander Richard Lee.

Australia's Peter Nolan was in outright fourth place at four-under, while two-times major winner John Daly made five birdies in his last eight holes as the American recovered from a bad start in a one-under-par 71.

Only half of the 156 starters finished their first rounds before the weather turned foul and the threat of lightning forced the players to abandon the course for the day.

Ogilvy looked certain to at least grab a share of the lead after making an eagle and three birdies in his first 10 holes but parred the last eight in a row to settle for a round of 67.

"I started very well, I was three-under after three which is always a nice way to start," Ogilvy told reporters.

"I played really solid on the front nine, not so solid on the back nine, but it was getting pretty windy in the last eight or nine holes.

"It (his front nine) could've been a pretty special nine holes and then I kind of unravelled a little bit on the back nine but as I said it got a bit tricky and blustery."

(Reporting by Julian Linden. Editing by Alastair Himmer)