PONTE VEDRA BEACH - Thursday was a mess. Friday was a mess.
Today, Saturday March 12, is still a mess and the The PLAYERS will not resume until 12 Noon at the earliest. There are 47 players who still need to finish their first rounds.
“Rain was the biggest story for the second consecutive day,” said the PGA Tour. Thursday’s opening day of The PLAYERS was delayed more than four hours because of inclement weather, allowing less than half the field to complete its first round.
Just four hours of play were completed Friday before play was suspended again because of unplayable conditions. Players did not return to the course Friday, leaving 47 players yet to complete the first round (Luke List withdrew mid-round) and a requiring a Monday finish at earliest.
“We’re into a Monday finish,” said PGA TOUR Chief Referee Gary Young. “We know that.” The opening round will resume no earlier than 11am (ET) Saturday.
The last Monday finish at THE PLAYERS came in 2005, with Fred Funk as champion.
Leaderboard (Partial)
Tommy Fleetwood 66 (-6)
Tom Hoge 66 (-6)
Brice Garnett (On 13)
Kramer Hickok 67 (-5)
Joaquin Niemann 67 (-5)
Keith Mitchell 67 (-5)
Anirban Lahiri 67 (-5)
Daniel Berger (On 16)
Full Leaderboard (link)
Preview | The PLAYERS Championship
COURSE: TPC Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra Beach - Florida
ARCHITECT: Pete Dye
YARDS/PAR: 7,256 yards/Par 72
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $20,000,000/$3,600,000
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Justin Thomas
PAST RESULTS: (link)
PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 600
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @ThePLAYERSChamp
TV COVERAGE: Second round of The PLAYERS Championship TV coverage suspended. Tee times are now TBA - Check Golf Channel. Schedule for today and Sunday is subject to change, but original coverage was scheduled for 12:30pm to 2:30pm (ET) on Golf Channel and 2:30 to 6:00pm (ET) on NBC.
PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage from TPC Sawgrass will be featured on ESPN-Plus today with Main Feed, Featured Hole and Featured Groups - Times TBD. Original schedule called for weekend streaming on ESPN+ from 6:45am to 6:00pm (ET).
PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage today, weather permitting at TPC Sawgrass today, Sunday and Monday coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 12:00pm to 6:00pm (ET). PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATourCom.
How to Watch/Stream The PLAYERS: (ESPNCom)
How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom) - Monday schedule is TBD.
The Basics:
The PLAYERS Championship Tee Times are delayed due to weather. Tour officials note: The golfers will not return to play until 12 Noon (ET).
Weather: Morning thunder storms give way to cloudy, then mostly sunny skies but winds blowing at 20-22 mph all afternoon. Temps dropping from 70-degrees in morning to 46-degrees by 8pm 9ET). Sunday will be mostly sunny but 50-degrees. Monday, 64 degrees, cloudy and a 20% chance of rain.
PGA Tour Brunch will post by 10:00am (ET) on Sunday.
Next Week: The Valspar Championship
The PLAYERS Championship - The Field and Tee Times:
The Field: (link)
Update:
Ryan Brehm (in) / Hayden Buckley (out)
Bryson DeChambeau (out) / Hayden Buckley (in)
Kevin Na (out; expecting third child) / Taylor Moore (in)
Hideki Matsuyama (out; back injury) / Patrick Rodgers (in)
Tyler McCumber (out; shoulder injury) / Michael Thompson (in)
Tee Times: (link)
What They’re Saying:
The PLAYERS suspended, again (ESPN)
Weather Updates from TPC Sawgrass (PGATourCom)
Weather won’t deter The PLAYERS dreams (Golf Week/USA Today)
Saturday at The PLAYERS and TPC Sawgrass’ 17th - chilling (YahooCom)
Matsuyama WDs (ESPNCom)
On This Day in Golf History:
March 12, 1978 - Tom Weiskopf withstood a furious challenge from Jack Nicklaus to edge the Golden Bear by one shot on the final green of a 36-hole final day at the Doral-Eastern Open in Miami. - Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt:
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