An hour later start and a thunderstorm interruption of over four hours: That was the first day of the Players Championship 2022 at TPC Sawgrass. What will the weather be like on the coming days of the PGA Tour’s most valuable tournament? And above all, in view of the already large shift in tee times: Will the tournament be able to be completed by Sunday or can a Monday finish be expected?
Even before the start of the Players Championship, the weather forecast looked anything but rosy. After the most beautiful weather in Florida prevailed in the past weeks, cool temperatures, rain and above all thunderstorms threatened for the Players Championship. The first effects were already felt on Thursday, but that was not all.
Players Championship 2022: More thunderstorms expected
On Friday, the worst weather conditions are expected, with a 90 percent chance of thunderstorms. Thunder and lightning may continue to occur through Saturday, with clearing not expected until midday Saturday. Sunday is the only tournament day where no rain is expected. But the temperatures will drop. With a predicted maximum temperature of 12 degrees Celsius, it could be the coldest day in tournament history.
In addition, the wind is expected to increase and could be a challenge for the players, especially on Saturday. The fact that the wind is expected to come in four different directions during the tournament doesn’t make things any easier.
PGA Tour Meterologist Wade Stettner expressed optimism all things considered, however. “I think they’ll be able to play some golf every day. Also, the amount of rain we’re expecting doesn’t look like so much that the course will be unplayable because the drainage is good and there’s technology installed to pull the moisture out of the greens.”
Will there be a Monday Finish at the Players Championship?
If the cut is decided, there’s also the possibility of speeding up play over the weekend by sticking with flights of three and starting two tees. So while a Monday finish is not yet necessarily expected, it remains to be seen.
The last time there was a Monday Finish at the Players Championship was in 2005. After a nice first day, the second round was a complete washout. Some players went on the course, but their results were cancelled and the round was restarted on Saturday. However, there were also repeated interruptions during the weekend, so that a large part of the third round and the complete fourth round had to be played on Monday. The tournament even threatened to drag into Tuesday because of a playoff between Fred Funk, Tom Lehman, Luke Donald and Joe Durant, but Funk secured the win with a par putt.