Print this page  |  Close Window

By John Maginnes, PGATOUR.com Contributor

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. -- Rain delays stink, but they are predictable. Everyone with a computer can pretend to be a weatherman when it comes to storms. Fog delays are a pain, too, but they tend to be confined to the morning and burn off pretty quickly. Frost delays are the worst, because no one likes to be cold -- that's why we don't have too many Eskimos playing on the PGA TOUR.

Hunter Mahan plays cricket on the Harbour Town practice green during Sunday's delay. (WireImage)

However, this stoppage in play at Harbour Town will likely go down as TOUR lore before it is all said and done. Aussies are quick to tell of an Australian Open that was delayed due to high winds. European players talk about an event on the Canary Islands more than a decade ago that was cancelled after two rounds because of sustained winds in the 50-60 mph range. We just don't see this very much on the PGA TOUR.

This is the first delay in recent memory where play was suspended under bright sunny skies ... almost. I was playing Spyglass Hill at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am back in the late 1990s when the horn blew under bright sunny skies. Fog was rolling in off the ocean on the front nine at Spyglass.

The first five holes were completely socked in for about an hour. No players were evacuated. We just sat in position and waited for the fog to clear down below. On the back nine, which is at the top of the property, it was a bright, sunny day. What we had was a fog delay combined with a sun delay.

One of my favorite delays happened at the Kemper Open on a Saturday that never turned into a day of golf. I was sitting with Brett and Amy Quigley, and we tried to come up with every song that had the word "rain" in the title. We made a list. I don't know what the total was, but since then, I have come up with a few more.

The delay on Sunday at Harbour Town turned into an overnight suspension at 4 p.m. ET. If Mother Nature cooperates, the tournament will end on Monday.

While this is not an uncommon event, it does pose some interesting logistical problems for the players, caddies, volunteers and everyone else who has to stick around for a Monday finish.

Hilton Head has the smallest airport on the PGA TOUR. Savannah is a metropolitan airport that many of the players use, but then there is the matter of changing flights and hotel reservations. Of course, this can all be accomplished, and will be, but it is still a pain.

So, play will continue on Monday morning and hopefully we will crown a champion. PGA TOUR regulations do allow for a Tuesday finish, but only in the event that half the field has finished on Monday. If half the field does not finish on Monday and the course becomes unplayable once again, Jerry Kelly, the third-round leader, could be declared the winner A tournament can be deemed official if 54 holes are complete.

The final group of the day had just hit their approach shots to the first hole when play was called. Providing play is completed and a champion is crowned on Monday, it will be a well-deserved victory. The forecast for Monday is for temperatures in the 40s and gusty winds once again.

Maybe Mother Nature will give us a break.