Final Round at Pebble Beach Delayed Due to Waterlogged Course and Strong Winds, Clark Holds One-Shot Lead
The prestigious AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am found itself at the mercy of Mother Nature, leading to the postponement of its final round until Monday, contingent upon weather conditions. The delay came after several hours of postponement on Sunday, caused by the prediction of further rainfall and high winds that threatened to limit the PGA Tour’s inaugural “signature event” to just 54 holes.
Wyndham Clark, who made a remarkable birdie on his last hole on Saturday, secured a tournament-record 60, finishing the day with a narrow one-shot lead over Ludvig Aberg. Should the final round fail to take place, Clark stands to be crowned the winner by default.
The day began with a slight delay of just over two hours, followed by an additional delay, leading the PGA Tour to push the round to Monday due to adverse weather conditions and safety concerns for players and attendees alike. The relentless weather conditions meant that even if the round had commenced, completing it before dusk would have been impossible, a situation made even less likely with the imminent arrival of severe winds on the Monterey Peninsula.
Gary Young, the Chief Referee for the PGA Tour, expressed a commitment to playing the full 72 holes, emphasizing the importance of this even though the event boasts a smaller field and a significant purse of $20 million.
The course, already saturated from continuous rain, has seen its fair share of challenges this week, including an unusual occurrence where a dozen golf balls were lost, buried deep within the softened turf. Notably, Rory McIlroy experienced difficulty extracting his ball from the fairway, a testament to the extreme conditions on the course.
The National Weather Service issued a high-wind advisory for Sunday, predicting gusts up to 60 mph (96 kph), leading to the closure of all tournament facilities at Pebble Beach. With more rain anticipated for Monday, the possibility of the course becoming unplayable looms large. The PGA Tour faces a tough decision, as initiating play on Monday is contingent on the feasibility of completing the round, to avoid the event being reduced to a 54-hole tournament, which would automatically declare Clark as the winner.
The PGA Tour has not seen a 54-hole finish since the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in 2016. Pebble Beach, notorious for its unpredictable weather, last had a 54-hole winner with Dustin Johnson in 2009, marking a rare occurrence for this iconic golfing destination. As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on the weather, with hopes that conditions will permit the completion of the final round and a full 72-hole contest.
