A million-dollar play-off at the Barclays Singapore Open was interrupted not once, but twice by thunderstorms and eventually postponed in bizarre scenes on Sunday. Torrential rain and lightning strikes handed Filipino Juvic Pagunsan and Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano an agonising overnight wait and disappointed thousands of fans at Sentosa Golf Club.
The two contenders will now return to the tropical resort course at 7:30 am on Monday (2330 GMT Sunday) to settle a play-off which they started nearly 17 hours earlier.
Both players had teed off for the sudden-death play-off at the par-five 18th when the hooter sounded for a storm suspension, bringing groans of disbelief from the packed galleries.
The two reappeared 90 minutes later to loud cheers, as workmen furiously mopped the 18th fairway, but managed only one shot each before a deafening thunderclap sent them scurrying back inside.
Heavy downpours accompanied by forked lightning turned the 18th green into a paddling pool before officials finally cancelled the day's play at 6:10 pm.
The US $6 million had already been slashed from four to three rounds after rain washed out most of Saturday, and also spilled over into an extra day last year because of weather delays.
Pagunsan is now kept waiting for his shot at the US $1 million first prize which would more than double his career earnings and make him the Philippines' first winner of a European Tour event.
Comments
Comments are closed.