After significant delays due to heavy rain on Thursday, no golfer in the 144-player field was able to complete the first round before PGA Tour officials called play for the day just after 5.30pm due to darkness.

Host course Riviera Country Club was so waterlogged the entire afternoon wave was unable to tee off, with the first round scheduled to resume at 7am Friday.

Playing in the intended morning wave alongside last week's Pebble Beach winner Phil Mickelson and Xander Schauffele, Spieth chipped in from off the green at the difficult par-4 2nd (his 11th hole) for a birdie to take the lead at five-under-par.

But he was joined moments later by South Korea's Sung Kang.

A shot adrift of three-time major winner Spieth and Kang are Americans Patrick Rodgers and Jimmy Walker, while Tony Finau and JT Poston share fifth at three under.

Marc Leishman is the leading Australian at two under having completed 10 holes, while Sydney's Cameron Davis is even par through seven holes.

World No.27 Cameron Smith, from Brisbane, is a shot back while fellow Queenslander and playing partner on Thursday, Rod Pampling, sits two-over the card.

Among the Australians unable to tee off on Thursday were John Senden, 2005 winner Adam Scott, 2011 champion Aaron Baddeley and Curtis Luck.

Event host Tiger Woods was also prevented from getting his first round underway.

- Evin Priest, Australian Associated Press