FINDLEY LAKE, N.Y. -- Dave Rummells knows that sometimes it’s function over form. The 48-year old Iowa native has been putting so poorly this year that he’s been searching for something to help him solve his troubles on the greens. Rummells is ranked No. 151 on the Nationwide Tour in putting and switched from a conventional putting grip to the “saw” grip about two weeks ago. The result in Thursday’s rain-delayed opening round of the $560,000 Peek‘n Peak Classic was a 6-under-par 66 and the lead in the clubhouse.

“I really didn’t want to try it because it looks so ugly but I was desperate,” admitted the veteran. “A friend of mine suggested to ‘just try it because you couldn’t putt any worse and see what happens. You might be pleasantly surprised.’”

Rummells toured the Peek‘n Peak Resort Upper Course with only 24 putts to complete a round that included six birdies and an eagle.

“Finally, it’s the first time all year I’ve putted well,” said Rummells, who owns a one-stroke lead over three others. “From tee to green I’ve been hitting the ball well but my putting has been atrocious. This year, without a doubt, it’s the worst I’ve ever putted.”

Rummells managed to complete only two holes Thursday afternoon before thunderstorms moved into the area and forced a 2 hour, 25 minute delay. When he returned to the course, Rummells rolled in his first birdie of the day. A driver, 3-wood combination and an 8-foot eagle putt put him at 5 under through 11 holes with plenty of momentum but that was stalled out on the downhill, and reachable, 345-yard fourth hole where four groups were stacked up on the tee.

Rummells’ troublesome back stiffened up a bit and the former Hawkeye made consecutive bogeys before making two more birdies to steer things back in the right direction.

“I haven’t had any confidence. I’ve been missing three to four putts inside six feet every day and you can’t score when you do that,” said Rummells, who has made only two cuts in seven starts this year and hasn’t been better than a tie for 33rd. “With the long ones you just lag it up there because you’re scared you’re going to miss the next one. I can be aggressive now. You’ve got to get over the fear of it looking stupid. You have to trust it and go forward.”

Rummells currently owns a one-stroke lead over David Morland IV, upstate New York native Tom Scherrer and defending champion Esteban Toledo. Rick Price, winner of the Xerox Classic in nearby Rochester last year, is alone in fifth with a 68.

LaSalle Bank Open champion Jason Dufner, Tom Gillis and David Mathis are in the house at 3-under 69. Charlie Wi, one of 27 players who didn’t have enough daylight to finish the round, is at 3-under through 14 holes. Wi and the others will return to the course in the morning and complete play while the second round starts at the originally-scheduled time of 7:00.

First-round News and Notes -- First-round play was suspended from 12:45 to 3:20 pm due to thunderstorms … Due to heavy overnight rains, the first round was played under “lift, clean and place” conditions … Morland IV registered the ninth ace in tournament history Thursday when he used a 7-iron to find the cup on the 183-yard, fourth hole. Steve Runge aced the same hole in 2003 and Jerry Smith matched it last year … The current scoring average for the par-72 layout is 73230, which would make it the second-toughest single day in the tournament’s four-year history.