American Bo Van Pelt needed near 30 hours to become the first player through to the second round of the WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship.

After much of Wednesday’s opening round was abandoned due to a freak out-of-season snow storm there was a further four-hour delay this morning (local time) after a further two inches of snow fell overnight.

It left officials the task of clearing the course before warmer weather did its part in melting what snow was remaining.

Bo Van Pelt — the first player through to the second round of the 2013 WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)

And when the players returned to the Dove Mountain course in Marana it was Van Pelt claiming the first victory in the delayed 32 matches when he handed out a 6 & 5 thrashing to Australian John Senden.

Van Pelt, with Kent caddy Mark Chaney on the bag, had won six holes in succession from the seventh going from all square before claiming victory at the 13th.

Prior to the stoppage Van Pelt had been 5up over Senden through 12 holes.

After Wednesday’s surprise snow downfall two more inches fell overnight on the Dove Mountain’s Ritz-Carlton course so that a total of four inches had fallen on the normally arid desert layout in under 24 hours.

Van Pelt, who is contesting the event for third straight year and this is the second occasion the American has advanced to the second round of the $US 8.75m event.

He will now play England’s Ian Poulter in tomorrow’s second round after Poulter defeated Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher 2 & 1.

Hopes of the snow melting quickly were squashed when temperatures dropped and there was an early morning frost.

Officials repeatedly altered restart times as the par-72 course remained blanketed in white but, after the snow had finally disappeared in the desert sunshine, first-round matches resumed at 1 p.m. local Arizona time.

And with most parts of the layout still very wet, officials allowed all 64 players to play under a lift, clean and place rule.