Gareth Bale holes monster putt on the 13th hole at Pebble Beach; only professionals will now play in final round which will end on Monday after high winds halted Saturday's play; Peter Malnati heads pro field, ahead of Bale's playing partner Joseph Bramlett
Monday 6 February 2023 06:32, UK
Gareth Bale impressed again at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but will miss out on the final round with only professionals permitted to play on what will now be a Monday finish.
High winds in California caused play on Saturday to be suspended at all three courses being used for the tournament - Monterey Peninsula, Spyglass Hill and Pebble Beach.
Organisers say the third round will recommence at 8am local time (1600GMT) with the fourth, which will feature the top 65 pros and ties, then getting under way at 1230 local (2030GMT).
Bale's playing partner Joseph Bramlett is tied for second on 10 under after 13 holes of his third round, two shots behind leader Peter Malnati, who is at 12 under after 12.
Bramlett and Bale are tied for 16th on 15 under in the Pro-Am event - which has now been curtailed to 54 holes - with former Wales, Tottenham and Real Madrid footballer Bale's third-round highlights including a monster putt on the 13th.
Speaking later on, Bale, whose golf has been praised by major winners Jon Rahm and Matthew Fitzpatrick, said: "The last couple of weeks have been amazing. People giving me compliments on my game is incredible, they have a put a bit too much pressure on my shoulders!
"I am a big golf fan and appreciate what these players do on the golf course. It is great to play with them, interact and watch what they do.
"Just watching him [Bramlett] strike a ball is just something else. The power, the touch. He has been incredible and he is an even better guy, which is more important. I couldn't have asked for a better partner."
Bale added: "At my house in Wales, I have a replica of the 17th hole at Sawgrass, the Postage Stamp at Royal Troon and the 12th at Augusta, minus the water as it is a bit close to the house!"
This is the first time the Pebble Beach Pro-Am has been suspended due to wind since 2014.
Malnati heads the field after carding six birdies and no blemishes across the 12 holes of his third round so far, with the American picking up three straight gains at Pebble Beach before play was suspended.
"I got to play eight holes before the weather got bad, so that was nice," said Malnati, who is chasing a first PGA Tour victory since 2015.
"Pebble's hard if you're out of position, but it's gettable if you're playing well. I've been playing pretty well this week, which is nice."
Bramlett, who is also playing Pebble Beach, added: "The weather was wild. It was fairly calm for maybe our first seven, eight holes. Then when we got to nine, it started blowing and then it's survival mode."
Bramlett is joined at 10 under by fellow American Keith Mitchell, with Ireland's Seamus Power six shots off the pace at six under after shooting one over through 14 holes at Pebble Beach on Saturday.
Power dropped four shots across his final three holes before the suspension, with two bogeys and a double, as he slumped from a healthy 10 under par.
Watch continued coverage of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am live on Sky Sports Golf from 3.30pm on Sunday.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
