Late Start Leads to an Unfinished Product

Phil Mickelson and other players at this week’s 87th PGA Championship knew there were going to be problems getting the tournament finished on time Sunday because of darkness and weather concerns.

Mickelson, in fact, said he asked officials to move the tee times up Sunday in an effort to finish on time.

“I had certainly asked to maybe go an hour earlier to try to get it in,” Mickelson said. “I thought that [Saturday] was a bit of a struggle the last three or four holes seeing in the light, and when we had the delay before we teed off [Sunday], I knew there was no chance of us finishing, or at least I didn’t think that there was.”

Mickelson was right.

Two weather delays and the 3 p.m. start for the final group forced officials to move the finish of the PGA to Monday for the first time since 1986.

Late starts for the final round are not uncommon and are done to maximize television ratings. The final round of 2002 U.S. Open at Bethpage was nearly postponed because of weather delays and darkness.

Kerry Haigh, the managing director of tournaments for the PGA of America, said Sunday there were no discussions with CBS about moving up the tee times.

“I think we had for about almost a year ... agreed on finish times,” Haigh said.

There were thunderstorm threats almost every day during the tournament, but no stoppages until Sunday, when play was halted twice -- first for 39 minutes and then for good at 6:35 p.m. local time.

Why wasn’t the start time adjusted?

“That’s not for me to answer,” said Thomas Bjorn, who is in contention at three under par, one shot behind Mickelson. “I’m sure the guys that run the golf tournament look at all the possible options and they made a decision from what information they got.

“I’m just happy to be here.”

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Remember him? Steve Elkington is trying to win his second PGA Championship title on the 10-year anniversary of his first -- in 1995 at Riviera Country Club.

Elkington shot seven-under 64 on the final day that year and defeated Colin Montgomerie by making a 25-foot putt on the first playoff hole, No. 18.

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The overnight rating for Saturday’s third round on CBS was 4.4, a 42% increase from last year’s 3.1 for the third round at Whistling Straits and up 7% from the third round of the 2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

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Paul McGinley’s 69 was his best round of the week and the 38-year-old from Dublin, Ireland, who was sixth last year at Whistling Straits, wound up tied for 22nd. McGinley had only one three-putt in four rounds, but said that was just about the only positive aspect of his putting.

“It’s not like I’m hitting bad putts, I’m hitting good putts,” he said. “There’s a goalkeeper in there and he’s playing great.”

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Listed as a dark-horse contender once again, Luke Donald didn’t get it done and his four-over 74 dropped him into a tie for 66th at nine-over 289.

After a third-place finish at the Masters, Donald posted solid first rounds at the U.S. Open and British Open, but tailed off the rest of the way, including a fourth-round 80 at Pinehurst and a third-round 77 on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

“I’ve gotten off to good starts in all the majors,” he said. “Maybe there’s something to learn from that, to go in there with no expectations from the beginning ... and don’t press too hard. But as soon as the first round is over, I’m in contention ... and maybe I put too much pressure on myself, I don’t know. But it’s something I’ve got to think about for next year.”

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Steve Schneiter eagled the last hole -- the second time he has done it this week -- and finished as the low club pro at six-over 286.