Another weather delay hit the final round of the PGA Championship at 6:36 p.m., and it has turned what was a celebratory gathering in the GCSAA/GCSANJ hospitality tent just off the permanent maintenance facility at Baltusrol into one of sincere concern.
The senior leaders here at Baltusrol -- Mark Kuhns, Scott Bosetti, Doston Kish -- have been in the tent for the last hour or so, enjoying the tournament on TV, chatting with well-wishers, generally celebrating a job well done. But over the last half hour, as the skies darkened to the north, Kuhns began to keep a concerned eye on the weather, even calling up local radar on the Intellicats Web site to get a more detailed look at the weather.
When the horn finally blew, it elicited an frustrated response from Kuhns, who grimaced at the news. Bosetti and Kish soon were on their way back on the course, while Kuhns began to communicate with maintenance team members who were stationed about the course, instructing them to secure both flags and tee markers before seeking shelter. "The fans will go after those," Kuhns said sternly in one communication. "You have to secure those right now."
We are now getting quite a bit of thunder and lightning -- but no rain -- and the biggest concern at this point is whether they can complete the final round before dark tonight. If not, it means completing play on Monday, which is a headache I don't have the courage to ask Kuhns about right now.
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