- PGA Tour officials said the tournament could end after 54 holes instead of 72
- A dozen of golf balls had already gone missing this week due to 60mph winds
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The final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has been postponed until Monday, weather permitting, after the start was delayed Sunday for hours amid a forecast of heavy rains and hurricane-force winds on a soggy course that could cut short the PGA Tour’s first ‘signature event’ to 54 holes.
Wyndham Clark two-putted for birdie on his final hole on Saturday for a tournament-record 60 and finished the day with a one-shot lead over Ludvig Aberg. Clark would be declared the winner if the final round cannot be completed.
The start of the final round initially was delayed by just over two hours early Sunday, and then came another two-hour delay. The PGA Tour eventually postponed the round to Monday, citing inclement weather and safety concerns.
Even if play began Sunday, it could not finish before dark. And that was increasingly unlikely as the system of wild wind was approaching the Monterey Peninsula.
Gary Young, the PGA Tour’s chief referee, said the priority would be to finish 72 holes, even if the tournament wasn’t a signature event with an 80-man field and $20million purse.
Pebble Beach’s final round on Sunday was postponed due to saturated course and high winds
A broken tent stands next to the 14th tee box as three quarters of an inch of rain fell overnight
A man clears debris from a fallen tree branch as winds were as high as up to 60 mph on Sunday
Waves crash and tents blow in the wind along the eighth fairway during the delayed final round
While only a three-quarters of inch of rain fell overnight, the course was so soaked that a dozen golf balls already have been lost this week from plugging in the soft turn.
Rory McIlroy on Thursday had to use fingers from two hands to pry a ball from the fairway.
The National Weather Service said gusts could reach 60 mph (96 kph) and issued a high-wind advisory for the rest of Sunday.
All tournament facilities at Pebble Beach remained closed.
More rain was in the forecast for Monday, and it wouldn’t take much to make the course too wet to play.
Wyndham Clark shot a course-record 60 on Saturday to move him to 17-under par and in first place in the tournament’s rankings
The tour would not start on a Monday unless it felt comfortable it could finish.
Otherwise, it becomes a 54-hole tournament and Clark would be the winner.
The last 54-hole outcome on the PGA Tour was the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in 2016.
Pebble Beach, with a reputation for bad weather, hasn’t had a 54-hole winner since Dustin Johnson in 2009.
More to follow…
