By Catherine Wood
Only a few hours after amateur Ricky Fowler was given the honor of putting the first ball of the 2009 U.S. Open in Farmingdale, New York, into play, the day was suspended because of heavy rain that water-logged the course. Many of the fairways were still playable when the decision was made, but the real problem was the super-saturated greens which were no longer fit for play.
"It's not to the point where it's so waterlogged that we're not going to be able to play golf at some juncture when it stops raining," said Mike Davis, senior director of rules and competitions for the United States Golf Association. He emphasized how well the course had handled the heavy rains.
The 18th hole seemed to be the worst hit, poor drainage putting it completely underwater. Even the elevated green fell prey to the heavy rainfall. The course has suffered nearly 30 days of rain in total since the beginning of May, adding an interesting factor to the already difficult course when play finally resumes. The tournament is slated to restart Friday morning at 7:30am (EST) (7:30 pm China), weather permitting.
78 out of 156 players posted scores on Thursday morning before the stoppage; this is the first time play has been suspended at a U.S. Open in five years. Four men (Jeff Brehaut, Johan Edfors, Andrew Parr and Ryan Spears) share a tie for the lead at one under par. Among them, only Brehaut has passed the half-way point in his round. Having started on the back nine, he has completed eleven holes and will resume on the 3rd.
Woods, the double-defending champion, is sitting at one-over with a 10 foot par putt on the 7th green to come when play resumes.
Ahead of Tiger, the current Masters Champion and 2007 U.S. Open Champion, Angel Cabrera holds a seven-way tie for fifth place at even par.
Mickelson, having an afternoon tee time, did not get a chance to begin play Thursday. Fans hoping to see the local favorite's quest for the championship will not get a chance unless they have tickets for another round. This is the last time Mickelson will play before his wife, Amy, starts treatment for breast cancer.
USGA spokesperson, Rand Jerris, said, "Tickets are for the day, not for a round." No rain-checks for Thursday will be accepted, but if play does not resume Friday, Friday tickets will be honored for the next day's play.
USGA regulations say that a winner cannot be named in less than 72 holes, so play will continue until all 4 rounds of golf have been played, leaving the question of a Tuesday or Wednesday finish fresh on people's minds. Bethpage Black is expecting rain for the remainder of the weekend and into the next.
(China.org.cn June 19, 2009)
