SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — At the frosty Phoenix Open, it was fitting a guy called “Tommy Two Gloves” had a share of the lead.
Not that Tommy Gainey thinks the extra glove really helps in cold conditions.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s an advantage when it’s real cold, and I’ll tell you why, because when the temperature started dropping, I mean, my hands, even though I had the gloves on, they were still freezing,” Gainey said. “I didn’t have much feel in my hands at that time. Wearing a glove or not, it’s still freezing, and your hands are feeling kind of numb. And that’s the way my hands were feeling, kind of numb.”
Gainey and Mark Wilson reached 1-under-par Friday before second-round play was suspended because of darkness in the frost-delayed tournament that will finish Monday.
Wilson played 14 holes in the second round, and Gainey finished nine.
Frost delayed play until just after 11 a.m. — 94 minutes after the scheduled start that was already nearly two hours later than normal. Only half the field finished the first round Thursday after a four-hour morning delay.
The delays — costing a total of 7 hours, 24 minutes of playing time — pushed more than half of the second round to today. In announcing the Monday finish, PGA Tour officials said the cut will remain at the top 70 and ties.
“In a perfect world, probably finish Monday, maybe four or five holes, best-case scenario,” said Slugger White, the PGA Tour’s vice president of rules. “So much depends on (this morning) and Sunday morning. . . . It’s unbelievable how frozen these greens get and they just don’t thaw out.”
On the sunny day, the temperature was 42 when play started, reached 52 and was 48 when play was suspended a little after 6 p.m. If the players started a hole before the suspension, they had the option of finishing it.
Only six players finished the second round and 64 — the entire early wave from the first round — didn’t get on the course Friday.
The temperature was expected to fall into the mid-30s overnight, cold enough to force another frost delay. It is supposed to get warmer, with highs of 65 today, 68 on Sunday and 73 on Monday.
No. 1 Westwood misses cut
DOHA, Qatar — Lee Westwood shot a 3-over 75 to miss the cut at the Qatar Masters, opening the door for Martin Kaymer to replace him at the top of the rankings.
Markus Brier had a 66 to take a one-shot lead over Darren Fichardt (68) after the second round.
Westwood, who finished 4-over 148, replaced Tiger Woods at the top of the rankings in October. Kaymer could advance to No. 1 with a second-place finish. He shot a 70 and is 10 shots back at 147.
John Daly is eight shots back after a 68.
Tseng leads storm-interrupted Aussie
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Yani Tseng shot a 6-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead at the storm-interrupted second round of the Women’s Australian Open today.
Ji Eun-hee, who shot 70, and No. 1 Jiyan Shin (72) were two shots back at 139. Jennifer Song, who shared the first-round lead with Shin, shot 73 and was three shots behind Tseng and tied for fourth with fellow American Cindy LaCrosse (68). Four-time winner Karrie Webb was at 143 after a 71.
