Heavy rain and sporadic thunderstorms have put a damper on the Zurich Classic of New Orleans through the first three rounds, and PGA Tour officials may be forced to cut the tournament down to 54 holes.
Slugger White, the PGA Tour's vice president of rules and competitions, said the goal is to complete the tournament as scheduled, but if inclement weather persists Sunday, "We would be here Monday if we have (lengthy) delays," he said. "54 holes is not in the mix."
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Should the PGA be forced the cut the tourney short, it would be the first time a tournament finished that way since the 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions, won by Dustin Johnson.
The problem with a Monday finish is next week's event is the Cadillac Match-Play, which begins Wednesday in San Francisco. That means the optimal route is to play the remaining holes on Sunday. Players are scheduled to start at 7:30 a.m. ET, and will not get re-paired for the fourth round. Rain is in the forecast for the next two days in New Orleans, but White and the PGA seem confident the tournament will finish on time.
Here's a look at some of the contenders and what they will need to do on what could prove to be a very trying day:
Jason Day (-13) — Day shot up the leaderboard Friday with a 7-under 65, and was stuck in the clubhouse for much of the third day. He'll start the marathon third-fourth round Sunday in a tie for the lead. His ball-striking looks to be in top form, and his putter is heating up. Maintaining his patience will be the key.
Erik Compton (-13) — Compton made the most of his short time on the course Saturday, birdieing four of the first six holes. With that said, he may have benefited the least from play being suspended due to darkness. If he can continue to play like there's nothing to lose, Compton could hoist the trophy on Sunday, or Monday.
Blayne Barber (-12) — Barber, like Compton, was shooting up the leaderbord before play was suspended. He's a highly talented player still looking for his breakthrough event. Things will likely be hectic Sunday, so Barber needs to stay within himself and not pay attention to the litany of contenders around him.
Justin Rose (-12) — Rose got off to a slow start Thursday, but has been charging up the leaderboard since. His game finally clicked in 2015 with a T-2 at Augusta, and could get even better this week.
Jerry Kelly (-12) — The 2009 champion is quietly making noise once again. His putting is very streaky, but is riding a hot wave right now. The winner of this tournament will have to go through the experienced Kelly.
There are 15 players 10 under par or better, and another 12 golfers at 9 under, so this tournament is far from decided. Players like Rose and Day will have the advantage if the tournament is shortened to 54 holes, because they have holes on the field.
Someone within the log-jammed leaderboard will survive the rain-soaked fairways in New Orleans to win, it's just a matter of when and how many holes it takes to do it.