PALM COAST, FL — With no chance of changing the weather forecast, tournament officials have done the only thing in their power and extended the window of opportunity.
Friday’s first-round tee times for the Furyk & Friends, the second-to-last regular-season stop on the PGA Tour Champions, have been moved 3½ hours earlier, beginning at 8 a.m. ET on the Ocean Course at Hammock Beach.
Some 24 hours out, the forecast doesn’t appear much better at any given part of Friday, with rain and/or thunderstorms given a 25-50 percent chance throughout.
But additional time on the front end better allows for disruptions due to possible lightning or unmanageable rains.
Gates will open at 7 a.m. ET for fans, and the Friday night concert on resort grounds (featuring
Billy Currington) is still scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
If it's just raining, golfers will play through. However, there are two big exceptions:
- Lightning: If there is lightning in the area, play will be suspended until conditions are deemed safe. On the PGA Tour, players can also decide if conditions are unsafe.
- Pooling: If water is building up on the greens, tee boxes or fairways, play will be suspended until the water soaks into the ground or the play areas are cleared.
PGA Tour weather policy
The PGA Tour directs spectators to pay attention to on-course scoreboards for weather messages throughout the tournament. The PGA Tour weather policy has five color-coded stages of alerts regarding weather:
- Green: "Inclement weather is not expected today. Enjoy your day!"
- Yellow: "Be aware: Inclement weather possible."
- Orange: "Be prepared: Inclement weather approaching. Prepare to take shelter or exit the premises."
- Red: "Take action: Inclement weather. Play suspended. Seek shelter immediately or exit the premises."
- Purple: "Course closed. Play suspended for the day. Exit grandstands, temporary structures, and exit the premises."
The policy says in the event of dangerous weather, fans should avoid hilltops, high places, golf carts, temporary structures, trees and wire fencing.
Notable tee times, groupings for Friday's Round 1
- 9:50 a.m. ET: Stewart Cink, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Davis Love III
- 10:01 a.m. ET: Steven Alker, Zach Johnson, Bernhard Langer
- 10:12 a.m. ET: Michael Block, Chris Devlin, Mathew Goggin
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Furyk & Friends expecting heavy rain, Friday tee times moved up
