Updated at 23.12
THIRD-ROUND play resumed Saturday at the US PGA Genesis Invitational after gusting winds caused unsafe and unplayable conditions at Riviera Country Club.
After a stoppage of nearly four hours, players returned to the course with the final threesome preparing to tee off at the opening hole.
High winds had blown golf balls off greens and blustery conditions caused equipment to collapse near players at the 14th tee, prompting the decision to halt play, tournament director Steve Rintoul said.
“We got into a situation of player safety,” he said. “Safety of our volunteers and everybody else out there on the golf course was our primary reason for shutting things down.
“We had a piece of communications equipment fall down very close to some players on the 14th tee, which really makes us as a committee step back and say maybe we need to go ahead and suspend now because it gets really more dangerous out there and that was ultimately the decision.”
It was the first time wind had caused unplayable conditions to suspend a tour event since the second round of the 2015 British Open at St. Andrews.
Sam Burns, who matched the 36-hole Riviera course record at 12-under par 130, was preparing to start his third round alongside US compatriots Tyler McCumber and Jason Kokrak when the horn sounded and players were pulled off the course.
“I kind of expected it to happen,” said Burns, chasing his first PGA title. “I was on the chipping green and balls were coming off the green. I was like, eventually there’s going to be a halt of play.”
His lead was trimmed to four strokes just before the stoppage when American Max Homa tapped in for eagle on the par-5 first hole after his approach stopped inches from the cup, leaving him on eight-under overall.
World number one Dustin Johnson was on the fringe at the first, looking at 16 feet for eagle, when play was suspended.
Johnson was in a pack on 7-under that included fellow Americans Kokrak, McCumber, Jordan Spieth and Wyndham Clark plus Chile’s Joaquin Niemann.
Won’t impact them really. Those are not huge losses. Munster v Wasps– now that was a squad decimated by COVID.
Serious chance here lads
@whoowhat?: you mean there’s a chance……
@whoowhat?: Eden Park, that would be historic altogether.
@Keith McCarthy: in llyod christmas’s world maybe
@daveyt: so you’re telling me there’s a chance ?
@Sean McCarthy: too right mate, put a few shrimp on the barbie ;)
What do people make of those billboards they’ve put up anywhere the Irish team are due to go? Stinks of desperation if you ask me. Are the NZ team embarrassed by them or are they lacking confidence that they take solice in them? If anything they’re going to fuel the fire in the Irish camp, probably exactly what we need after Ulster and Leinster feeling a bit dejected after the URC exits.
@SPQH: billboards?
@SPQH: take it as a compliment and a laugh, Irish bookmakers have done same, but much witter and better. Its really a non story
@SPQH: A Kiwi gambling company TAB NZ behind this.
Good luck to them provoking Paddy Power’s social media team!
@Paul Kennedy: wittier*
@SPQH: i don’t think they matter much, if it generates a bit of rivalry and sells more tickets fair play, maybe is a compliment that NZ fans are taking Ireland seriously.
@Paul Kennedy: OK fair enough, didn’t realise it was a bookmakers that was behind it.
@Doug Storms: Yeah, 3 outside Missouri.
Ireland can give back the players they robbed from new Zealand
@Tony Mcgrath: and then New Zealand can give back all the players they robbed from Tonga, somoa etc it works both ways
@Sole Trader: Australia & Scotland too.
@Tony Mcgrath: Ah c’mon. You can be more creative than “robbed”. Put some effort in man.
@Tony Mcgrath: robbed? Like what they did to Isa?
Getting Joe Schmidt on board reeks of desperation from Foster I think .
@Macus Mc Mahon: more like Feeks
All Blacks obviously taking a leaf out of the Tyrone playbook. Ireland beware .