Defending champion Aaron Rai was within a shot of the lead as bad weather curtailed the second round of the Wyndham Championship.

The Englishman, who opened with a seven-under 63 at the Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina, picked up six strokes before lightning forced the players off the course.

He trails American Cameron Young, who had reached 14 under when the weather intervened. Fellow American Mac Meissner shot a seven-under 63 and Sungjae Im of South Korea a six-under 64 to lead in the clubhouse on 12-under par.

“For me it’s not necessarily about this week. I’ve got a goal. In the middle of September I’d like to be in New York playing on that Ryder Cup team,” Young said. “If I can achieve that, I can achieve a lot of things over these next four weeks. So I’m trying to keep that in mind rather than the little things along the way.

“Not that winning a tournament here would be little, but I think for me kind of looking off in the distance in that way I think will help me just keep trying to trust what I’m doing and build some confidence along the way.”

Rai, who won his maiden PGA Tour title at this event a year ago, opened with three birdies, adding another at the fifth and two more after the turn before his round was halted on the 14th.

Young also got off to a fast start after an opening 63 with five birdies on the front nine.

He will resume his round on Saturday morning from the edge of the 16th green as he chases a third successive birdie after edging ahead late on.

Overnight leader Joel Dahmen, chasing a place in the top 70 in the FedEx Cup rankings in the final event before the play-offs, mixed two birdies with as many bogeys as he remained on nine under.

Gary Woodland is among those on the edge of the play-off places and helped his cause with an albatross two on the par-five fifth. He shot 64 to sit alongside Dahmen.

Who will win the Wyndham Championship? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf. Live coverage of the second round begins on Saturday from 7pm. For Sky customers, Sky Sports Golf is now found on channel 406. Not got Sky? Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with no contract.