Roberts turns in strong start in his 25th start

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nobody has played Memphis' PGA Tour stop more than Loren Roberts. No one has wanted to win it more than him.

Now a regular on the Champions Tour and 53, Roberts was tied for seventh Friday in the St. Jude Classic when second-round play was suspended because of thunderstorms. He finished off his second 67 before play was stopped.

"I wanted to try to win this golf course for a long, long time and could never get it done," Roberts said.

He admitted moving to the Champions Tour might have helped him relax and enjoy golf a bit more, easing the pressure to perform at a TPC Southwind course near his home. Roberts called it free-wheeling for someone who will play the PGA Tour stop in Milwaukee and possibly one other regular-tour event this year after missing the cut in Hawaii at the Sony Open in January.

Roberts already has a win and six top-10 finishes on the Champions Tour this year.

"That's a huge, huge hurdle to get over. Some guys get over it, some guys don't. Some guys never even worry about it," Roberts said.

Roberts broke a tie with fellow Tennessean Lou Graham when he started this event on Thursday, his 25th appearance in the tournament's 52-year history in Memphis. He tied Dave Hill and Gene Littler by making his 20th cut.

This has been a tough year for an event that benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital with the loss of title sponsor Stanford Financial in March and a purse reduction announced late last week.

"I'm just so thankful that the Memphis community has rallied around this tournament the way that it has after what happened a few months ago. And I just think, I just kind of wanted to make the cut to be around for the weekend. And to be in contention, that's a huge bonus," Roberts said.

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WAIT SOME MORE: John Daly finished at the projected cut line at even par after a 2-under 68. With the weather delay, he will have to wait until Saturday morning to see if he keeps playing in his first PGA Tour event following a six-month suspension.

Daly finished just as the afternoon wave was teeing off. He opened with a 72 and had broken par on this course only three times in his previous 19 rounds. He didn't talk when he finished.

If he makes the cut, a temporary restraining order Daly's attorneys obtained Wednesday keeping his estranged wife away from the course would be extended into the weekend.