Play abandoned at PGA Championship with 10 players yet to start round three
By Keith Jackson
Last Updated: 31/07/16 2:23pm
The PGA Championship is facing the prospect of a Monday finish as thunderstorms forced an early abandonment of the third day's play at Baltusrol.
Leaderboard
The players were forced from the course at 2.14pm local time on Saturday due the the threat of lightning in the New Jersey region, with 10 players yet to begin their third rounds including joint-leaders Jimmy Walker and Robert Streb, who were due to tee off at 2.55pm.
Just 37 of the 86 players who made the cut managed to complete 54 holes, with Kevin Kisner claiming the clubhouse lead on five under after a seven-birdie 65, while 2008 champion Padraig Harrington was also five under for the day and kept a bogey off his card as he advanced 51 places up the leaderboard.
PGA of America officials originally hoped that the delay would last only one hour, but the expected break in the weather failed to materialise and play was called off for the day shortly before 6pm.
The third round is scheduled to resume at 7am (noon BST) on Sunday, weather permitting, and tournament officials are likely to implement a two-tee start with players going out in threeballs for the final 18 holes.
But with the forecast of more thunderstorms throughout Saturday evening and Sunday, many are speculating that the tournament will not conclude until Tuesday, which would be a first for a major championship stroke play event.
In a bizarre attempt to finish the tournament on schedule on Sunday, it was later announced that the final round "will begin at 8:40am in nine-minute intervals; staying in the same pairings as Round 3, starting from Tee #1 (approx. 8:40am - 3:25pm starting times)".
Ironically, the PGA Championship has not been forced into an extra day since it was last played at the New Jersey venue in 2005, when Phil Mickelson edged out Thomas Bjorn and Steve Elkington after the final round was interrupted by torrential rain on Sunday.
The PGA Tour season has seen a number of weather delays affecting no fewer than 16 tournaments this season, with four having to be completed on a fifth day.
Of those that did manage to finish their third rounds, Russell Knox did well to hole out at the last for a flawless 67 just seconds before the klaxons sounded, but playing partner Marc Leishman was not so lucky and will have to return to tackle his 10 foot putt when play resumes on Sunday morning.
Harrington was delighted to be safely in the clubhouse having returned his best round of the season, although he insisted he was not at the top of his game.
The 44-year-old, who outlasted Sergio Garcia to lift his third major title at Oakland Hills eight years ago, said: "I probably made the most of the round today. I certainly played average but made the most of it and took my chances.
"I hit the right shots at the right time and any of the (bad) shots I did hit didn't do me any harm. In my head, I'm hoping the scoring goes the same it did the last time the PGA Championship was here, when the leaders come under pressure on the golf course and maybe some guys behind, namely me, get a bit of momentum early on and can push on.
"If you do get momentum in the early holes, you feel good and feel there are opportunities to make birdies."
Former US Open champion Justin Rose bounced back from an opening bogey to pour in five birdies, including three over the last four holes to cap a 66 which lifted him to two under for the tournament.
But Masters champion Danny Willett will be playing for pride in the final round as he mixed three birdies with five bogeys and one double-bogey at the 15th in a 74 which saw him slip to four over par.
Live coverage from Baltusrol will resume on Sunday at 2pm on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf.
