The Starter: Round 2, Bob Hope Classic

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Heavy rains wiped out Thursday's play at the Bob Hope Classic. The second round is now scheduled for Friday.

Jan. 21, 2010

THURSDAY'S UPDATES:

• The latest from PGA TOUR rules official (3:30 p.m. ET): Last year, the rainfall for the La Quinta area totaled just over an inch. Today, the Nicklaus Course has 1 1/2 feet of water on the fourth hole alone.

And there's more rain on the way.

"Monday will be in the mix," PGA TOUR rules official Slugger White said. "We just don't have a golf course."

What they do have is a lot of water and worse yet, nowhere to put it with several homes surrounding the courses. With so much water, there's also nowhere to take relief because players would end up having to drop on cart paths or rocks, which obviously is not an option.

For the full transcript of White's interview, click here.

• Official release about the postponement (2:03 p.m. ET): Heavy rains forced postponement of the second round of the Bob Hope Classic after more than an inch of rain fell on the area, making the four competitive courses unplayable.

PGA TOUR officials originally pushed back the start of Thursday's second round by two hours, but due to heavy showers and more rain expected during the day, play was called at 9:30 a.m. PT. The start of the second round is slated to begin at 8:30 a.m. PT (11:30 a.m. ET) on Friday.

"I went out on the Nicklaus Course, went to the range, and it's just under water," PGA TOUR rules official Slugger White said. "It's a mess. I've been coming out here for a long time and I've never seen anything like this."

The area has received more than two inches of rain this week and Thursday's postponement marked the first time in 30 years that a round was postponed or suspended due to rain at the Bob Hope Classic. The last came in the opening round in 1980, when heavy rains suspended play and the round was completed the following day.

• Round 2 postponed (12:49 p.m.): The second round of the Bob Hope Classic has been pushed back until Friday. Round 2 tee times will remain the same. This is the first time since the first round in 1980 that the Bob Hope Classic has lost a day of play to the weather.

Weather condition may continue to have an impact on the schedule Friday, with a 90 percent chance of rain.

• Round 2 delayed (10:35 a.m.): Tee times have been pushed back two hours due to inclement weather. The first tee times will now be at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
11:57 a.m. ET, Hole No. 1, Palmer Course		Shane Bertsch Bertsch has been off the TOUR for awhile, but he got his card back at q-school and has a lot at securing his future this week after a sensational 62 on Wednesday.
1:45 p.m. ET, Hole No. 10, Palmer		Alex Prugh This Washington State native is only two shots back of Bertsch and should have no problem playing in the wet and cool conditions in Palm Springs.
1 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1, Silver Rock		Bubba Watson Bubba had a bogey-free 66 on Wednesday that included only 28 putts. He's gone 109 starts without a win ... is this the week?

MORE ROUND 1: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the courses

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Brett Wright previews Thursday's second round:

The four golf courses here at the Bob Hope Classic received record rainfall on Tuesday and showed signs of that saturation during Wednesday's first round. No one is sure how much more theses courses can handle. With heavy rain and thundershowers in the forecast for Wednesday night and all day Thursday, the collective grounds crews and PGA TOUR tournament officials will be working overtime.

Thursday's forecast

Rain
Temp: 57 high/47 low
Cool and rainy with winds from around 15 mph.

For the players, this could mean delays and long waiting periods where they are stuck in a holding pattern waiting to resume or start play. The rain will also increase the difficulty of the course. Roll will be reduced in the fairways, and the greens will have less speed, which will also affect the break.

Look for veterans who played well like Heath Slocum (66), J.P. Hayes (65) and Jeff Quinney (64) to build on the momentum of a solid first round. They will have a slight advantage with their experience of dealing with changing and adverse conditions more. Keep an eye on the rookies as well. Alex Prugh (64) and Martin Flores (66) will gain a great deal of confidence if they can follow up great scores on a different course in Round 2.

Remember, the key to winning the Bob Hope Classic is the ability to adjust to the greens and make putts. Five rounds on four different sets of greens is the biggest challenge of all.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Alex Fisher, head instructor at the TOUR Academyat TPC Las Vegas, analyzes the playing conditions at the Bob Hope Classic.

The first round is in the books and the players really took advantage of the great weather conditions. All of the players near the top of the leaderboard putted lights out, averaging less than 1.60 putts per green.

Leader Shane Bertsch shot an impressive 10-under 62 on the first day, but what is more impressive is that he hit almost 90 percent of greens in regulation and averaged just over 1.40 putts per green. If he can keep up those two stats over the next four days, it is hard to see anyone catching him.

The weather isn't going to be as kind to the players over the next few days, though. Rain is in the forecast and the golf courses will be playing a lot longer. The greens will also get slower over the next few days with the weather conditions, so expect to see the players hit the practice green a little earlier than normal in the morning.

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR Today John Swantek recaps the first day of the Bob Hope Classic, and SIRIUS XM's Bob Stevens goes over course conditions for Thursday. Watch it
	Round 1 highlights Shane Bertsch shot a a 10-under par 62 to take the lead on opening day at the 2010 Bob Hope Classic. Watch it
	Shot of the Day: Steve Elkington Steve Elkington holes his fourth shot for a birdie on the par-5 18th hole during the first round. Watch it