U.S. Open players braced for Monday finish as rain causes havoc

By Larry Fine
FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) - Rain made a shambles of the U.S. Open schedule with Thursday's postponement of play and more downpours in the forecast pointing to a probable Monday finish at the earliest, officials said.
"If the current weather forecast was accurate, a finish on Sunday would be borderline impossible," Mike Davis, U.S. Golf Association director of rules and competitions, told reporters.
With rain continuing to pound down, Davis said Bethpage Black was expected to receive an inch and a half of total precipitation on Thursday on an already soggy course.
The last group of Thursday's first-round morning flight were able to finish only two holes.
The 78 players already on the course were scheduled to return at 7:30 a.m. EDT to resume the first round, with the rest of the first-round starters pencilled in to start their rounds at 10 a.m. EDT, weather permitting.
Davis said the hope was to start second-round play at 12 p.m..
GLOOMY OUTLOOK
While Friday's forecast was encouraging, with lighter rain that would allow golf to be played, the outlook for Saturday was discouragingly similar to Thursday, he added.
Despite feeling the urgency to get as much golf in as soon as possible, officials ruled out the use of lift, clean and place practices employed by the golf tours when balls can become muddied after landing in soaked fairways.
"We just don't play lift, clean and place," Jim Hyler, chairman of the USGA championship committee told reporters. "If it gets that bad we're going to suspend."
However, using a squeegee on the greens to chase away standing water would continue and players could request their putting line be squeegeed.
"Where you have casual water on the green, where you have water on the green, we don't see that as inconsistency to squeegee the line of putt," said Hyler.
"As long as you squeegee (three feet) past the hole."
Players would also have the option to move the ball on a different line.
"If casual water intervenes on your line of putt you can get relief," said Hyler. "But typically you're going to see it squeegeed and get rid of the casual water."
(Editing by Ken Ferris)

Source: Reuters