The rain-soaked fairways were too much for even a tiger to tame. Early Sunday afternoon in Central Florida, the sinister looking skies finally gave way to sheets of rain and pockets of destructive winds.
The final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational was delayed until Monday morning at 10 a.m. ET on Monday as gusts of wind as high as 62-mph ran roughshod over Bay Hill.
Some of the wind bursts were so strong that it destroyed a TV tower behind the 10th green and left many members of the media running for cover from the vacillating media tent housed on the Bay Hill tennis courts.
There was so much rain on the 18th fairway that a fish was spotted. Chairs, tables and umbrellas were sprawled across the grounds and patrons were spotted taking cover under anything that would shield them from the ruthless Central Florida weather.
But before the wind and rain soaked all hopes of Tiger Woods claiming his 77th PGA Tour victory on Sunday, he started his round with a score of one-under par through the second hole before play was called.
“At least we got a little activity in today, so we’re not completely stagnant,” said Woods after leaving Bay Hill once play was finally called.
Woods and his playing partner, Ricky Fowler, were surrounded with throngs of fans just hoping to get a glimpse of Woods’ red polo and Fowler’s orange décor. After both players hit solid tee shots off of the second tee box, they walked down the engraved grass path to the second green with cheers of “Go Tiger!” and “Hey Ricky!”
No matter for Woods as he is used to the feckless shouts of his name, but Fowler is a different story. Last season when he was paired with Woods at the Memorial, a PGA tournament hosted by golf great Jack Nicklaus, Fowler shot a final round score of 84.
Not sure where his head is located now after seeing Woods birdie the second hole. Fowler has a real chance of winning the API (Arnold Palmer Invitational), he just has to tune out the loud chants for Woods to “get it in the hole” after every single shot.
For the rest of the action on the day not completely stopped by the rain, Spaniard Sergio Garcia provided the shot of the day when he climbed a tree to find his tee shot from the 10th hole. He inexplicably wedged his ball between two branches up an oak tree.
Always the showman, Garcia jumped on the tree from a golf cart and hit the lodged ball onto the fairway.
He finished with a final score of three-over par, five-over for the day, but withdrew after the bad weather chased everyone off the course. William McGirt, Garcia’s playing partner, said that Garcia turned his score card and said “I’m out of here.” Maybe the strident claps of thunder chased him away.
Outside of Garcia’s wild shot and the weather theatrics, Sunday was normal until the weather horns blew. Still most, if not all, believe that Woods will take home his eighth Arnold Palmer Invitational trophy.
He has some competition from Keegan Bradley who was slowly climbing the leader board on Sunday. He shot a two-under par through four holes.
If Woods is able to hoist the trophy again, this will be his sixth victory in his last 20 starts, and his third win of the young season.
He hasn’t won three tournaments before the year’s first major since 2008, and according to statistics provided by the PGA, a win at the API will give Woods his 15th victory in the state of Florida.
Woods is also chasing the number one spot in the world golf rankings. With this win, he will take that title again for the first time since 2010.
This may also represent an exhausting week for Woods and many other golfers. Due to the weather delay, the exhibition Tavistock tournament that’s held annually in Central Florida, this year at the Isleworth Country Club in Windermere, will only feature a portion of the golfers scheduled to play.
Woods and other tour pros who have not completed their rounds at the API will not participate at Tavistock on Monday, but will show on Tuesday. Though Woods is not scheduled to play in this week’s Shell Houston Open, he will most likely take-off for Augusta, Georgia to grab a couple of practice rounds at Augusta National, the home of the Masters.
-JH
