Flooded fairways and unrelenting rain has pressured the Australian PGA Championship committee to desert play on day two and cut back the $2 million showpiece to a 54-hole occasion.
There can be no play on Friday at Royal Queensland with officers initially suspending motion earlier than making a definitive name at 11:30am, AEST, as additional storms pounded the riverside Brisbane course.
Gamers will return on Saturday to play their second rounds earlier than the sector is lower and a 3rd and ultimate spherical is contested on Sunday.
Greater than 200mm of rain fell in Brisbane this week with floor employees working time beyond regulation to make sure play was attainable on Thursday.
The forecast is extra encouraging for the weekend.
Ending the occasion on Monday stays a consideration, however not a really perfect one given the Australian Open begins in Victoria on Thursday.
Elvis Smylie (6-under 65) heads a packed leaderboard, one away from French star Victor Perez, Australian Matias Sanchez, Swiss expertise Joel Girrbach and Chile’s Cristobal Del Photo voltaic, who birdied 4 of his final 5 holes in driving rain on Thursday afternoon.
Persistent rain flooded the course at Royal Queensland, main organisers to name off play on day two. (Getty Photographs: Bradley Kanaris)
Native drawcards and main winners Cameron Smith and Jason Day, in his first Australian occasion in seven years, are two photographs behind Queenslander Smylie.
Min Woo Lee (3-under) is the defending champion and can be in a Saturday afternoon marquee group with Smith and Day.
“There’s most likely a way of aid a bit from those that might have been going out,” PGA of Australia tournaments director Nick Dastey mentioned.
“It is no secret it was a bit more durable on the market (on Thursday afternoon) … and so they’ve been up early, ready.”
Dastey mentioned the greens had held up “unbelievably properly”, with water-logged fairways on the entrance 9 the key concern.
“The golf course is simply not getting an opportunity to dry out and get to a place the place we’re even getting any affordable play the place it is truthful and equitable,” he mentioned.
“Disappointing, but it surely does imply we’ve a large weekend of golf.
“We now have the Australian Open to consider … the gamers should get all the way down to Melbourne and put together for that.
“The course employees have carried out an unimaginable job … all through the nights for the final 4 or 5 days.”
AAP
