More rain at Bethpage delays play again

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Steady and sometimes heavy overnight rain that has continued into Sunday morning has forced another delay in the resumption of the third round of the U.S. Open.

The rain-plagued championship is currently scheduled to resume at noon EDT. The gates will open for spectators at 11 a.m.

The most recent delay, the third since play in the 109th U.S. Open began on Thursday, guarantees only the third Monday regulation finish in the tournament's history. The last time competition was carried over into Monday -- and it was not a playoff -- was in 1983 when Larry Nelson won the season's second major.

Mike Davis, the senior director of rules and competition for the USGA, told ESPN Sunday morning that an inch of rain fell overnight. He expects more rain between 8:30 and 9:30 a.m., but then there should be another break in the weather.

“We do feel very confident that we can have it ready for a noon start,” Davis said.

Officials hope to finish the third round by 4:30 p.m. The players will then be repaired, and competition in the final round will continue as long as possible Sunday evening and be completed Monday morning.

Things appeared to be looking up on Saturday as the second round was completed under sunny skies and the third round began at 5:30 p.m. Rain arrived abruptly, though, and the already-sodden course quickly became unplayable, so the horn sounded at 6:55 p.m. 

A total of 16 players, including Ricky Barnes, who leads by one at 8 under, and Lucas Glover, who's one behind in second, had yet to tee off in the third round. USGA officials had decided to send the players off in twosomes on split tees to try to get in as much play as possible for the 60 players who made the cut in an attempt to finish the regulation 72 holes on Sunday.

Defending champion and world No. 1 Tiger Woods had parred his first hole before play was suspended Saturday, and he remains 3 over for the tournament. Phil Mickelson, the No. 2 player in the world, also had completed the first hole and is 1 under for the championship.

Sunday's forecast calls for an 80 percent chance of rain and winds in the 15-25 mph range, which will bring a new challenge for the field when play gets under way. 

The low pressure that has caused this pounding of Long Island and the tri-state area has stalled off the coast, and the rain is now moving in a circular pattern, not unlike what happens with a Nor'easter.

However, the potential for rain on Monday drops to 40 percent. There has been some form of rain in the tri-state area for 18 of the last 21 days.