So much for Saturday being "moving day."

Based on the forecast of overnight rain and raging wind, the Tour said there was no chance of even making the cut until Sunday.

The conditions and the forecast were so bad the first round was not scheduled to resume until 11am Saturday, and that was described as a best-case scenario.

"The golf course has just reached a point of saturation, and unfortunately the weather conditions are not providing us any relief," said Gary Young, the chief referee of The Players.

Puddles formed on the putting surfaces when play was stopped, and the rain kept coming.

It will be the eighth Monday finish since The Players Championship began in 1974, and the first since 2005. All the Monday finishes have occurred in March. The Players was held in May for 12 years until returning to its earlier date in 2019.

RIGHT: Tommy Fleetwood remains in a share of the lead at the weather delayed Players Championship. PHOTO: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images.

But it's never been as disjointed as this.

The opening round was delayed an hour at the start, and then was suspended for 4 hours, 15 minutes. Thursday ended with Ian Poulter running from tee-to-green on the par-3 17th so he could tee off on the 18th and assure his group could finish before darkness.

There's a good chance Poulter might not hit another shot until Sunday morning.

Only 96 players from the 144-man field have finished 18 holes.

Tommy Fleetwood and Tom Hoge finished on Thursday and each posted a six-under 66. At best, they won't start the second round until late Saturday afternoon.

Brice Garnett holed out for eagle from the fourth fairway and was at six under with five holes to play when he returns Saturday.

Daniel Berger was among those at five-under, and he was the first sign the conclusion of the opening round might have to wait. He was just short of the par-5 11th green when he called for an official because of water in the area where he wanted to land his pitch.

"It was good to get out this afternoon. It was good conditions and it would have been nice to have a couple more birdies." - Cam Smith.

Dustin Johnson had three birdies in his opening four holes and went out in 32 before the wet greens twice fooled him and led to three-putt bogeys.

Berger holed a 40-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No.12 and hit a beautiful lag putt from 50 feet on the 13th. He followed with birdie putts from 18 feet and 15 feet to reach five-under.

Australians Jason Day and Cameron Smith both recorded opening rounds of 69 and were among those to complete the opening round, while the in-form Lucas Herbert (also three-under) will resume on the 15th.

Australia's World No.10 Smith is sitting in a tie for 11th.

"It was pretty scrappy off the tee, to be honest. I holed a lot of good par putts and felt really good with the putter," Smith said after mixing five birdies with just one bogey.

"It was quite boring, to be honest."

"I just sat down with my mum and my sister and my girlfriend and we just had some lunch and had a chat and didn't really do much.

"It was good to get out this afternoon. It was good conditions and it would have been nice to have a couple more birdies."

Residing in nearby Jacksonville Beach, Smith often practises at TPC Sawgrass and admits he has previously found it difficult to focus sufficiently at the $US20 million event regarded as golf's unofficial fifth major.

"I don't know, I've found it hard in recent years to really treat it like a tournament," he said.

"I feel like I'm just coming out here just to practice. That's normally what I do. It's usually pretty cruisy around here.

"I have a chat to the boys out the back on the greens-keeping team and have a laugh at the boys back there, as well.

"It's all fun and games most of the time. I find it hard to switch on so I've made it a point this year to act as though I'm at a tournament."