Camiko Smith, Nick Jones and Eric West failed to complete their first round at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship on Thursday.

The local qualifiers are among a group of 20 players who have yet to complete their opening round after play was suspended at 5.19pm when darkness descended on Port Royal Golf Course.

Jones and amateur West are both three over with three and four holes to play respectively, while Smith is even par with two holes left to play after he found the going tough before rolling in back-to-back birdies to make the turn at two over.

He gained momentum on the back nine and has yet to drop a shot as he looks to end his first round on a high on Friday morning to keep alive his hopes of making the cut and pocketing a nice share of the $6.9 million purse.

“I struggled in the early part of the game just trying to get my motions in check and my body in check,”,” Smith told The Royal Gazette.

Butterfield Bermuda Championship Day 1 photo gallery

“I have been working on things and my caddie was making me take my time, get back in form, stay loose, and I was able to do that

“I got my first birdie on the 17th, birdied 18, almost chipped in on my tenth hole, birdied my eleventh hole then kept it solid. I just kept everything in front of me, stayed positive and ended up with a birdie on seven, which would be my sixteenth hole.

“All in all I just had to steady the ship and was able to do that, so I’m pretty happy.”

Smith, who is tied for 54th, was four over through seven holes but managed to turn his fortunes around.

Jones was one under at the turn after rattling in two birdies but endured a tough time coming back after carding four bogeys on the back nine so far.

“I was playing really well on the front nine, which is our back nine, and finished one under,” he said.

“Had a birdie on 18 in front of the crowd and was happy, but I just lost a bit of rhythm and blocked it out the right on one. I didn’t get up and down out of the bunker and then had a couple of unforced situations.

“I hit a perfect drive on No 4, which was my best drive of the day, but I ended up being in a divot and I just couldn’t get on the green and make par, but I am hitting the ball well and and hopefully I can finish birdie, birdie, birdie and get back to within striking distance of the cut.”

Jones is tied for 103rd along with compatriot West, who feels good about his game .

“I am playing well,” he said. I pulled the ball left into the trees at 14 and made triple bogey,” he said. “I am three over for the day so it’s just that one bad swing otherwise I am right there.

“They didn’t cut the greens today or yesterday so they were getting a little lumpy there at the end. I’ve got a putt on six that was suspended due to darkness so I will be hitting a putt from 30 feet uphill for birdie.

“One bad swing and a couple of short putts that I missed but otherwise I am fine. I will just keeping hitting at the hole and make good putts, and I think it’s going to turn around. I will be fine.”

Americans Justin Lower and Hayden Springer are the joint clubhouse leaders at six- under.

Springer made three birdies in his last four holes to take a share of the lead and was delighted with his play in tough conditions.

“It definitely was challenging out there,” he said. “I mean, the ball's curving quite a bit. I feel like the downwind holes are probably the easiest to judge at least and you get shorter shots.

“I’m just trying to stay patient and really not think too much about it. There's so much golf left, so it's easy to kind of get ahead of yourself.”

A shot back and tied for third are Americans Patrick Rodgers, Joseph Bramlett and Kevin Dougherty, who has one hole left to play in the first round. Colombian Jhonattan Vegas is among a host of players a farther shot off the lead