Castle Rock – Slugger White knew the first round of The International was in trouble when he woke up Thursday to pouring rain at 5 a.m.
The soggy situation never improved, throwing the tournament into uncharted waters.
“I heard there were ducks swimming in the fairway at No. 9,” said White, the PGA Tour’s on-site official for competitions. “And they might have been sinking.”
After several delays, White finally suspended the day’s play at 1:12 p.m. without any of the 144 players having hit a shot. It was the first time in the 20-year history of The International an entire round washed out, though every tournament has had at least one weather delay.
The first round was rescheduled for today with “lift, clean and place” rules in effect. No decision was made on how to complete the tournament, other than to schedule 18 holes today and then reassess, with the goal to play 72 holes total and finish Sunday.
“To anybody’s recollection, in this tournament we have never awakened to an all-day rain,” said Larry Thiel, executive director of The International since its inception. “It complicates our life. The worst days to lose in a golf tournament are the first two days. And to lose all of the first day and part of another is devastating, because you have the full field playing.”
By mid-afternoon, 2.17 inches of rain had drenched the golf course Thursday and 2.54 inches during the previous 24 hours, according to grounds superintendent Marshall Fearing.
“I feel sorry for the people who work the tournament because they prepare all year and then it seems like you get all your annual rainfall in two days,” said Brad Faxon, the 1992 International champion.
Today’s rescheduled first round will begin at 7 a.m., with groups going off Nos. 1 and 10 in the same order as set for Thursday. It’s impossible to get in more than one round with a full 144-player field, so another 18 holes is all that can be completed Saturday.
That could leave several scenarios, White said, none of them ideal. The PGA Tour may choose to schedule 36 holes Sunday to complete the tournament after making the 36-hole cut, push back the final round until Monday or perhaps shorten the competition to 54 holes with a Sunday finish.
“After (today) we can get a better taste of what’s going on for the rest of the week,” White said.
Another option is reducing the number of players making the 36- and 54-hole cuts, White said, depending on what happens in the next two days.
The players, meanwhile, passed the time in the clubhouse playing cards, swapping stories or watching poker on TV.
“We just got to a point where we couldn’t go,” White said. “The weather forecast (for today) is iffy, and that’s why Thursday is so important to get in; just trying to get some golf played is paramount.”
The fact that the year’s final major, the PGA Championship, is scheduled for next week will have no bearing on the decision whether the tournament will be completed Monday, if it comes to that, White said. He added that he does not consult with players on such matters.
“We don’t, (because) when you deal with the competitors in the field, it’s kind of ‘what fits them at this point in time,”‘ White said. “We consult the tournament directors at a tournament, our staff, television. Our objective is trying to finish 72 holes by Sunday.”
Faxon said he doubted any players making the 54-hole cut here would withdraw in order to get to the PGA Championship on time, even if The International were pushed back to Monday.
“Nobody is going to jump ship in the fourth round because that’s a payday,” he said.
Fearing’s staff of more than 60 workers spent Thursday afternoon trying to ready the course for today. Draining sand bunkers that resembled bathtubs proved to be the biggest challenge. Some of the puddles in the bunkers were 1 1/2 feet deep, Fearing said.
“If there’s no more rain, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Fearing said of preparing the course. “We’ll do the best we can with what Mother Nature throws at us.”
Staff writer Tom Kensler can be reached at 303-820-5456 or tkensler@denverpost.com.
