Date: August 10, 2008
Author:

Bad weather stymies Badds

Aaron Baddeley remains three shots off the pace at the 90th US PGA championship after he only managed to complete one hole before play was abandoned on Saturday (US time) due to inclement weather. Baddeley parred the first hole to remain two-over for the tournament and in a tie for eighth position as American JB Holmes (one-under), who wasn&apost able to commence his third round, maintained his one-shot lead at Oakland Hills. Stuart Appleby managed to get 12 holes in and has a progressive third-round score of two-under, to be four-over overall, thanks to birdies at the 2nd, 6th and 12th holes that were offset by a bogey at the 3rd. Steve Elkington is a shot further back on five-over after he only managed to play seven holes on the third day and is currently one-over for the round. Leading contenders Holmes, Charlie Wi, Justin Rose, Ben Curtis, David Toms and Henrik Stenson will therefore have to negotiate 36 holes on the final day. Championship officials suspended play for the day more than four hours after the first of many thunderstorms in the Detroit area brought a halt with only 25 of the 73-man field having completed their third rounds. Holmes and the rest of the leading three pairings – Wi, Rose, Curtis, Toms and Stenson – had not even started their rounds when play was finally called off. Graeme McDowell, Andres Romero and Camilo Villegas had all made charges towards the top of the leaderboard before the rain brought a halt to the action. Argentina&aposs Romero started the third round at seven-over-par – eight shots back on overnight, midway leader Holmes – while both Colombia&aposs Villegas and Northern Irishman McDowell teed off at six-over. After a difficult opening two days&apos play on the tough and unforgiving par-70 course, all three got on track at Oakland Hills – before the threat of rain called a halt. Romero rattled in seven birdies and just two bogeys on his way to a five-under, course-record-equalling 65 to move to two-over for the tournament. Villegas was four-under for his round, one-over for the tournament after 14 holes. McDowell, a two-time European Tour winner this year, had begun with birdies at the par-five second and the par-four sixth – which tournament officials shortened from 387 yards following the second round, measuring 285 yards to the front of the green and 318 yards to the hole. McDowell was at two-over for the week, having played 15 holes – four-under for the day in a round that included an eagle three at the 12th. Rose was just one shot off the lead in the final major of the year following a second-round, three-under-par 67 that moved him to even-par for the tournament. The Englishman had been due to tee off in the second-from-last pairing with 2003 Open champion Curtis but the forecast of numerous showers and thunderstorms across the region proved correct, and play was suspended. When the rain came it was brief but torrential – and just as groundskeepers worked to clear surface water, the showers returned as dark skies remained more than two hours after the suspension was called. The third round had got under way under mostly sunny skies. With the cut coming at eight-over-par, 73 golfers remain in the championship. England&aposs Paul Casey bogeyed the par-four 1st to slip back to seven-over before steadying with pars for the rest of his front nine. There was another bogey at the 11th, and Casey was two-over for his round after 14 holes when play was suspended. Ian Poulter looked to be on course for a nightmare third round when he opened with a double-bogey six at the 1s but bounced back with three birdies – a bogey at the 5th keeping him at even for the round and five-over for the tournament. Kiwis Mark Brown and Michael Campbell are currently six-over for the round while Robert Allenby (10-over), John Senden (10-over), Geoff Ogilvy (11-over) and Peter Lonard (12-over) were fortunate enough to complete their third rounds. Third Round of The US PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (Par 70) Play suspended: -1: J.B. Holmes 71 68 (yet to tee off) E: Charlie Wi 70 70 (yet to tee off), Ben Curtis 73 67 (yet to tee off), Justin Rose 73 67 (yet to tee off) +1: Steve Flesch 73 70 (after five holes), David Toms 72 69 (yet to tee off),, Henrik Stenson 71 70 (yet to tee off), +2: Andres Romero 69 78 65, Camilo Villegas 74 72 (after 14 holes), Boo Weekley 72 71 (after 4 holes), Angel Cabrera 70 72 (yet to tee off),, Brandt Snedeker 71 71 (yet to tee off),, Jeev Milkha Singh 68 74 (after 1 hole), Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 71 71 (after 1 hole),, Ken Duke 69 73 (after 1 hole), Sergio Garcia 69 73 (after 1 hole) +3: Prayad Marksaeng 76 0 (after 17 holes), Graeme McDowell 74 72 (after 16 holes), Fredrik Jacobson 75 71 (after 12 holes), Brian Gay 70 74 (after 6 holes), Briny Baird 71 72 (after 3 holes), Paul Goydos 74 69 (after 3 holes), Phil Mickelson 70 73 (after 5 holes), Sean O Hair 69 73 (after 2 holes) Also: +4: Stuart Appleby (Australia) 76 70 (after 12 holes) +5: Steve Elkington (Australia) 71 73 (after 7 holes) +6: Mark Brown (New Zealand) 77 69 (after 13 holes), Michael Campbell (New Zealand) 73 71 (after 7 holes) +10: Robert Allenby (Australia) 76 72 72, John Senden (Australia) 76 72 72 +11: Geoff Ogilvy (Australia) 73 74 74 +12: Peter Lonard (Australia) 74 74 74 +17: Richard Green (Australia) 71 77 79