Golf-Viking Classic first round postponed until Sunday (Reuters)
October 31, 2009
* No play possible for first three days at Annandale
* Officials to evaluate conditions on Saturday (Adds quotes, detail)
NEW YORK, Oct 30 (Reuters) – The delayed first round of theweather-hit Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi has beenpostponed until Sunday because of unplayable conditions.
Friday’s scheduled start was pushed back three hours togive the greenkeeping staff more time to prepare the coursebefore officials decided no play was possible on thewaterlogged layout.
Further rain pounded Annandale Golf Club later on Fridayand officials then abandoned any prospect of play on Saturday.
The par-72 layout has had 25 inches of rain in the last 30days and further thunderstorms have been forecast for late onFriday.
“Unfortunately our situation is getting worse,” SluggerWhite, the PGA Tour’s vice president for rules and competition,told reporters. “We are just going to have to wait and see whattomorrow brings.
“We are going to come out, reassess the golf course andhave an update at 11 o’clock local time here. It’s ratherdismal.”
Asked whether the tournament was likely to be cancelled onSaturday morning, White replied: “I just don’t want tospeculate on anything until tomorrow when we look at it again.”
CRYSTAL CLEAR
He was crystal clear, however, about what needed to improvefor the penultimate event on the 2009 PGA Tour to go ahead.
“(We need) the rain to stop, the sunshine to come outtonight and the wind to blow about 50 (mph),” he said. “Thefairways have got to improve and the tees have got to improve.
“We’ve thought about some holes out there that we (could)shorten to par-threes. But other than that, then we justcompromise the competition and that’s not what we’re allabout.”
Former world number one David Duval, one of the players inthe 132-strong field, was pessimistic about the tournament’sprospects.
“It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which we’ll play atall, in my opinion,” the 2001 British Open champion said.
Will MacKenzie is the defending champion at Annandale,having won last year’s title in a three-way playoff with fellowAmericans Brian Gay and Marc Turnesa. (Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles, editing byTony Jimenez and Peter Rutherford. To query or comment on thisstory email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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