Andrew Loupe holds a two-shot lead after the opening day of the John Deere Classic but heavy rain means he is yet to complete the final four holes of his first round.

The American is on eight-under par for the tournament after carding eight birdies and no bogeys during his opening 14 holes, and is currently two strokes clear of compatriots Patrick Rodgers, Ryan Moore, Zach Johnson and Tom Gillis.

Loupe was one of the later starters unable to complete their rounds on Thursday after a heavy storm forced a three-and-a-half hour delay in the late morning.

The 27-year-old showed no ill-effects from the delay, carding three birdies in his opening five holes, while back-to-back birdies at the 13th and 14th helped him to move into the outright lead at TPC Deere Run.

The world number 171 is chasing his first PGA Tour title this week after missing the cut at his last seven events, with his best performance of the year coming when he secured a tie for third place at the CareerBuilder Challenge in January.

Loupe will be looking to cement his place at the top of the leaderboard during the remainder of his first round and is available at 15.00 to claim his maiden PGA Tour title this week.

The top 36 players are separated by just five strokes heading into Friday’s action in Illinois, including Morgan Hoffmann and Geoff Ogilvy, who are three shots off the pace after completing 14 and 12 holes respectively on Thursday.