Garcia leads rain-hit Wyndham champs

AFP

Sergio Garcia of Spain.

Greensboro, North Carolina – Spain's Sergio Garcia had the lead at 15-under through four holes Sunday when the fourth round of the PGA Tour's Wyndham Championship was suspended for the day because of rain showers.

Organisers halted the round after a lengthy weather delay at the Sedgefield Country Club that lasted two hours and 20 minutes.

Tour officials will bring them back to the course at 9:00 am (3pm SA time) Monday to finish the final round which will also determine the qualifiers for the PGA Tour's playoffs. It will be the first Monday finish at the event since 1983.

More than five centimetres (two inches) of rain fell on the course since late Saturday and tour spokesman Mark Russell said the 15th hole became “unplayable.”

“It started raining and just wouldn't stop. The golf course got to the point where it was saturated,” Russell said.

“We got to a point where we knew we couldn't finish... so we made a decision that we would let it drain tonight, come back in the morning and be in position to resume play.”

South Africa's Tim Clark, Jason Dufner and Bud Cauley were at 14 under through varying stages of their fourth rounds. A total of 38 players, half the field, were still on the course when play ended for the day.

It's been four years since Garcia's last PGA Tour victory, and he will have to wait another day to see if he can close the deal.

Garcia began the day at 14 under and had three pars and a birdie on the par-four third. He was preparing for a 40-yard chip when play stopped.

The Spaniard, who hasn't won on tour since the 2008 Players Championship, is also chasing a berth on the European Ryder Cup team.

The 10 automatic qualifiers will be set following the Johnny Walker Invitational, with Jose Maria Olazabal making two captain's picks.

Clark birdied two of his first four holes Sunday to match Garcia at 15 under. Clark started the day a shot behind Garcia.

A bogey on the par-five fifth dropped him back a stroke and he was in the fairway on number six when the delay came.

“Obviously, we'd all like to continue playing,” Clark said. “You get into a rhythm out there, and you'd like to keep going. But it's going to be the same for all of us. It's just a tough situation.” – Sapa-AFP