WASHED AWAY
Heavy rains bring AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to a halt in second round
PEBBLE BEACH >> PGA Tour officials halted play at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the day at 2:11 p.m. Friday after heavy rain continued causing water to accumulate on the greens.
While a majority of golfers finished their round, thanks in part to tee times being moved ahead an hour in anticipation of the coming storm, Jordan Spieth’s day ended with him at 10-under through 16 holes at Spyglass Hill and tied for the lead.
The second round will be completed starting at 7:10 a.m. today, followed by the third round at 8 a.m., as originally scheduled.
“I think we had the option to finish out the hole, but we weren’t on No. 9 so it wasn’t
going to do us much good,” said Spieth, who started his round on the 10th hole at 8:50 a.m. “So I’ve got a shot from the fairway on 8 and then the ninth hole trying to make two pars there and then you go to Pebble (for the third round) and kind of see what the day gives you.”
Mark Russell, PGA Tour vice president of tournaments and competition, said continuing play on Monday will be an option if the weather doesn’t let up.
“We’ll do everything we can to play 72 holes,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can to get it in by Sunday, if the weather cooperates.”
The last time an AT&T Pro-Am round was wiped out due to weather was 2009 when rain shortened the tournament to 54 holes.
Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, finished his round Friday and finished among a group of four golfers at 10-under. Mickelson sat atop the leaderboard for most of the day before bogeys on three of his final four holes at Spyglass Hill.
“I didn’t drive it like I did (Thursday), I didn’t miss a fairway (Thursday),” he said. “Here, you’ve got to be in the fairway, and I was fractionally off on a couple of the holes, both par 5s on the front, and that ended up costing me probably three shots if I would have hit those fairways.”
Thursday was Mickelson’s first round
since 1998 in which he hit every fairway. He said conditions were a bit more difficult for the second round.
“I’m also lucky to get done now and get the round over with,” he said. “Guys, unfortunately, are still out there playing in some tough stuff.”
Lucas Glover, Scott Langley and Paul Casey finished the second round tied with Mickelson at 10 under. Glover finished his round at Pebble Beach just as the rain started to fall. He said staying warm was one of the challenges.
“The wind picked up a little coming in but overall it was a good day,” Glover said. “Kudos to the weather guys for holding it off and getting us in.”
Langley said it was pouring rain his last three holes of the day.
“I just tried to grind
down the stretch and make pars,” he said.
Casey managed to get his final hole in at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Shore Course just after play had been called.
“I played a great round of golf, and I’m happy to get done,” he said. “We were on the last hole, and I heard that horn go.”
Starting on the back nine, Casey caught fire early with four birdies and an eagle between the 13th and 18th holes.
“Just got on a hot streak, hit a lot of good quality shots and made some putts,” he said.
Competing at Spyglass Hill, Jason Day got through 15 holes at 9-under overall before play was halted. Scott Piercy sits at 8-under overall through 15 holes at MPCC.
Scott Stallings, Jonas Blixt, Branden Grace, Matt Every, Brian Gay, Kevin Kisner and Rafa Cabrera Bello finished the second round at 7-under overall.