"If we get a day of sunshine and breeze on it, it will get dramatically better, and we're going to present a better golf course for the players, and the Accenture Match Play Championship is a World Golf Championship and we want the golf course to be as good as it can possibly be under these conditions.

"We're extremely fortunate to have the leeway to do this."

Russell said the greens at La Costa are in good condition but the bunkers and fairways are flooded in many cases. A creek that transverses the golf course has risen over its banks, and silt has settled in many fairways.

The excess water is being pumped out of some of the fairways, and lightweight mowers are being brought in with the hopes of being able to cut the grass once the storms make their way across the coast Wednesday.

A field that includes 64 of the top 65 golfers in the world, though, got down to business on Tuesday. La Costa actually was open for practice rounds and will remain open on Wednesday. Any decision on whether to use preferred lies will be made on Thursday prior to play.