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Sergio Garcia & Henrik Stenson top leaderboard
Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson each sank putts on the final hole Saturday to reach 10-under and shared the lead after two-rounds of the rain-plagued HSBC Champions tournament.
All play was washed out on Friday, and light rain delayed the start 3 hours on Saturday. As a result, the tournament will be completed on Monday. Organizers are hoping the leaders can play about 27 holes on Sunday, leaving a 9-hole finish on Monday.
The first-round leader, Stenson rolled in a 20-foot putt on 18 for a 3-under 69. Playing in the same group, Garcia tapped in a 2-foot putt for his birdie and a 68.
Two other players were a shot behind in the $5 million tournament—Geoff Ogilvy (65) and Englishman Oliver Wilson (68). Phil Mickelson (70) and Graeme McDowell (65) of Northern Ireland were another shot back.
Ogilvy does not mind playing on Monday. His only win this season came on a Monday in the CA Championship in Miami, a World Golf Championships event.
“If you’re still playing and in contention, then playing on a Monday—it’s no big deal,” said Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion.
Ogilvy was among a handful of leaders who started the third round on Saturday. He played two holes and dropped a shot. He said being asked to squeeze in more play was “a bit annoying.”
“That’s always frustrating,” he added. “But it is what it is. You want to play four rounds if you can.”
Cutting the tournament to 54 holes and finishing on Sunday was a possibility, but it would have created poor publicity for an event that is billing itself as “Asia’s major.” Only one European tour event this season was cut from 72 to 54 holes because of weather problems.
“This tournament is of global significance so, of course, we should play to a finish,” Garcia said.
The weather forecast for the next several days is good.
The HSBC field includes 10 of the world’s top-20 ranked players. There are suggestions the tournament could become one of three World Golf Championships events. All three events are now played in the United States.
However, that may require scheduling it earlier in the year when the weather is better.
Rain washes out play on Friday
Heavy rain washed out play on the second day of the HSBC Champions at the Sheshan International Golf Club on Friday, raising the prospect of the $5 million tournament spilling into next week.
Organisers had delayed the start of play in the second round several times before continuing rainfall caused the abandonment at 1350 local time (0550 GMT).
Weather permitting, the players will be back on the course at 0645 (2245 GMT) on Saturday to start the second round and organisers hope they can complete half of the third round as well.
“Our prime objective and our current intention is to complete 72 holes in the HSBC Champions,” European Tour tournament director David Probyn said in a statement.
“Clearly if we have any further delays … there is a strong possibility that play in the fourth round may need to be completed on Monday morning and this has been provisionally agreed with all parties.”
More rain and fog is forecast for early on Saturday but wind is expected to clear the skies later in the day.
Swede Henrik Stenson led on six-under-par after the first round with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia, who are battling it out for second place in the world rankings, among four players a stroke behind.
The Champions, Asia’s joint richest event, is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, the PGA Tour of Australasia, South Africa’s Sunshine Tour and the China Golf Association.
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