Rainy forecast at BMW Championship could impact final round

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – There will be rain on Sunday for the final round of the BMW Championship. Lots of it. PGA TOUR meteorologist Joe Halvorson has no doubt about it. “This is going to be an all-day event,� he said. “It’s one of the few times I’ve ever put 100 percent in my forecast.� With the guarantee of rain comes the uncertainty of when the BMW Championship will end – or perhaps whether it already has ended. The Philadelphia area, noted Halvorson, is experiencing the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon moving through the area. Steady light rain is expected to start between 6 a.m.-7 am. ET, about a 1/10th to 2/10ths of an inch each hour. The heavier rainfall is expected to arrive Sunday afternoon. As a result of the forecast, tee times have been moved up starting at 7 am. ET off two tees. The lead threesome of Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele will tee off at 8:50 a.m. ET. The hope is to get the tournament finished before the heavy rains arrive. “That’s your best-case scenario,� Halvorson said. The worst-case scenario would be an early arrival of the heavier rains on an already soaked Aronimink course. Third-round play was pushed back five hours on Saturday due to 2 4/10ths inches of overnight/morning rain. If play is pushed to Monday, Halvorson said there is a potential clear window of weather between 8 a.m.-2 p.m., followed by afternoon thunderstorms. “Still a tough forecast even though we do have a window,� Halvorson said. The possibility of a Tuesday finish also could be looming. If at least half the field finishes their final round by Monday, then PGA TOUR regulations dictate that the remainder of the field must also finish. If less than half the field finishes, then it would revert to the 54-hole leaderboard. Rules officials also could discuss other options if necessary. Rose, the leader by one stroke after Saturday’s round, obviously wouldn’t mind a 54-hole result. “I’ll take the two-day washout, of course,� he said. Rory McIlroy is just a shot back of Rose after his 7-under 63 that included a birdie on the final hole. “I was looking at the leaderboard all day just thinking we don’t know if this is going to be a three-round tournament,� McIlroy said. “We don’t know if it’s going into Monday or Tuesday.� Keegan Bradley, who is solo sixth, would lose his opportunity to win the tournament if just 54 holes are recorded. On the flip side, he’s currently projected to claim the 30th and last spot for the TOUR Championship, so he’d be moving on to East Lake if it happened. “It’s weird,� Bradley said. But he thinks TOUR and tournament officials will find a way. “I would be shocked if they didn’t figure out a way to play another 18, whether it’s tomorrow or Monday,� Bradley said. And if play is postponed or moved back? Fortunately, there is an off-week before the TOUR Championship in two weeks. “I’d love to get another crack at it out there and have a chance to take the lead, but maybe that chance won’t happen until Monday if it goes to that,� McIlroy said. “Good thing is we don’t have a tournament next week.�

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