TPC May Last Till Tuesday

The Players Championship turned into a wet, controversial mess Sunday when yet another round of storms all but promised to extend the PGA Tour’s most prestigious event into six days, most of that spent indoors.

Luke Donald of England played nine holes -- six in the morning to complete his second round at four-under-par 68 and join three others in the 36-hole lead at 10-under 134; then three in the afternoon before rumbles of thunder heralded the arrival of heavy rain that pounded the TPC at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Players were sent home 2 1/2 hours later, with Donald and Joe Durant tied at 11 under par. Tim Herron, who tied the tournament record earlier Sunday with six birdies in a row, was one shot behind along with defending champion Adam Scott, Lee Westwood and Zach Johnson.

They were to return at 7:15 a.m. today with hopes the Stadium Course would be ready.

Any other week, the tour almost certainly would settle for a 54-hole winner. But with a five-year exemption at stake and a tournament billed as the fifth major, the tour wants to go the distance.

During the first rain delay on Friday, the four players on the PGA Tour policy board agreed to give Commissioner Tim Finchem the authority to extend the Players Championship to Tuesday, if necessary.

Tiger Woods made the cut on the number, at one under. He extended his record cut streak to 140, but it was his closest call since making the cut on the number at the 2003 Masters.

The last PGA Tour event to end on a Tuesday was the 1980 Tucson Open.

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Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand won the Indonesia Open at Jakarta by five strokes, but it was Colin Montgomerie who had a final round to remember.

Montgomerie shot a 10-under 60, and saw his chance at 59 end when he missed a birdie putt on his last hole. He finished tied for fourth with Frankie Minoza of the Philippines at 18-under 262.