Unrelenting rain forces scheduling chaos for Aussie PGA
Murray Wenzel |
The Australian PGA Championship committee is facing a scheduling nightmare with the prospect of play being rubbed out on day two due to constant rain in Brisbane.
Officials will make a final call on Friday at 11.30am (AEST), with no play until at least 1pm at Royal Queensland.
Ground staff have been left scrambling to clear water from the flooded riverside course, but there is the prospect of more rain to come before conditions clear on the weekend.
Round two had been set to begin at 6am but play was suspended after overnight downpours and constant morning drizzle.
About 200mm have fallen in Brisbane since Saturday, with players amazed at the condition of the course on Thursday considering the torrid weather.
But organisers now face the challenge of somehow making up the lost time, with Friday’s afternoon marquee group of Min Woo Lee, Jason Day and Cameron Smith unlikely to play until the weekend.
Elvis Smylie (six-under 65) heads a packed leaderboard, one clear of French star Victor Perez, Australian Matias Sanchez, Swiss talent Joel Girrbach and Chile’s Cristobal Del Solar, who birdied four of his last five holes on a soggy course on Thursday afternoon.
Local drawcards and major winners Smith and Day, in his first Australian event in seven years, are two shots behind Queenslander Smylie.
Min Woo Lee (three under) is the defending champion at the $2 million event.
AAP