BMW International Open round 1 suspended

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Lucas Glover smiled wryly when he was told he and Tiger Woods are the only two players in the PGA Championship field this week who have won majors at Bethpage Black. “That’s probably about it,â€� he joked when asked what else they might have in common. “That and we’ll have 14 clubs in the bag this week, I guess. “That’s pretty cool to have that (in common). That might be the only thing that anybody will ever use he and I’s name in the same breath. And any time you’re lumped in with him. It’s a pretty big honor.â€� But the now 39-year-old three-time PGA TOUR winner hopes he might have something else in common with Woods … the ability to recapture some old glory. Woods has famously returned from injury in the last year, winning the TOUR Championship and the Masters to pull within one of Sam Snead’s record 82 PGA TOUR wins. At East Lake it was Woods’ first TOUR win in five years and at Augusta it was his first major win in nearly 11 years. Glover, who won the 2009 U.S. Open, has faced similar lengthy win droughts. He has also battled some minor injuries, including most recently his knee. The last of his three TOUR titles came at the 2011 Wells Fargo Championship. But this season … well you could say he’s trending. Glover sits 31st in the FedExCup this season thanks to the fact he has four top-10s and 11 top-20s from 15 starts. Last season he managed just one top-10, back in October of 2017, so it is a welcome return to form. Related: Featured groups, tee times | Rethinking Tiger Woods | Spieth ‘flying under the radar’ in latest career Grand Slam bid | Nine things to know about Bethpage Black | The First Look Especially considering his FedExCup positioning since his last winning season reads 219th, 114th, 185th, 147th, 106th, 43rd and 135th. “I don’t think there’s been anybody to play this game that hasn’t been fried at one point or another,â€� Glover said. “It was pretty up and down and some lean times, but again, I don’t know of anybody that’s played this game for a long time that hasn’t gone through some ups and downs.â€� “Like (former NFL player) Brian Dawkins said in his Hall of Fame speech, you’re going through something so you’re going to come out on the other end, so that’s the way I’m looking at the last few years is I’ve come out the other side. “I haven’t won, I haven’t accomplished any of my goals, but I’ve come through it.â€� Glover’s victory in 2009 came in extremely wet conditions. The rain is again falling at Bethpage in the early part of this week. Back then he held off the likes of Woods, and Phil Mickelson as they charged towards him. He might have to do so again should he find himself in contention. “Any experience you have, good or bad, you can make it a positive, and that’s what I’m trying to do … I’m in every way a different person than 10 years ago, but I can still lean on all of that,â€� he adds. “My golf swing is different, my putting stroke is different, my brain is different, everything is different. But at the same time, I still get comfortable when I walk into the clubhouse or drive through the gate. “It’s just that calming feeling. It’s almost like how I imagine some guys feel driving down Magnolia Lane at Augusta that have had success there. It’s just like an automatic deep breath, like I’ve done it here, let’s see what we can do again.â€�

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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – It took an extra 197 days for Phil Mickelson to win his first AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. The delay will be considerably shorter to win his fifth. That’s provided, of course, Mickelson maintains the lead for the final two holes that he’ll play Monday morning when play resumes at 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. local) on Pebble Beach. He’s three shots ahead of playing partner Paul Casey, the only other player yet to finish his final round. Thanks to a one-hour delay prior to the start of Sunday’s play, and then an additional two-plus hour delay after a hail storm arrived as the final group was on the first tee, the playing schedule was pushed back just enough to prevent Mickelson and Casey from finishing their rounds. It wasn’t for lack of trying on Mickelson’s part, though. Having surged to the lead with a brilliant 16 holes that included six birdies and no bogeys, Mickelson was pushing hard to finish in regulation. With darkness quickly enveloping Pebble Beach, Mickelson insisted, “I can see fine.â€� But Casey realized there was no way to complete two holes in six minutes, so he opted to mark his ball on the 16th green, knowing his par putt from 3 feet would be on fresh greens Monday. Mickelson, who is at 18 under, had no problems with Casey’s decision. “I totally get where he’s coming from,â€� he said. “In all honestly, it’s probably a good thing because now we’ll play the last couple of holes in pure conditions and it will be helpful for both of us.â€� Casey, likewise, understood Mickelson’s stance. “The guy on the hot streak wants to keep going,â€� Casey said. “The guy who’s not, let’s stop.â€� Casey was never able to heat up Sunday in the cold conditions – he was even par for his round — but he’s hoping the overnight reset might give him a chance to catch Mickelson. A birdie-eagle finish at the par-3 17th and par-5 18th might be his best hope, given how Mickelson was playing Sunday. “There’s still a glimmer,â€� said Casey, currently tied for second with Scott Stallings at 15 under. “I need to do something special.â€� Casey also did not want to jeopardize the chance of winning the pro-am portion of the event with his amateur partner, Don Colleran. They have a two-shot lead with two to play. At least Mickelson won’t have to wait as long as he did in 1998. That was the year that the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am could manage just 36 holes during its regularly scheduled week, suffering from the infamous “Crosby weatherâ€� that often kicks up in February. Needing to play 54 holes to make the results official, the decision was made to play the final round at a later date when travel was convenient for players. It finally took place 6-1/2 months later on Monday, Aug. 17, the day after the PGA Championship finished in Sahalee outside Seattle. It’s the last time a TOUR event had its final round postponed and played later in the season. Mickelson rallied in that final round, shooting a 67 to beat Tom Pernice Jr. by a stroke. That was the 13th of his 43 career TOUR victories. He also won at Pebble Beach in 2005, 2007 and 2012. “I’ve got two difficult holes coming up and it’s been a great day so far,â€� said Mickelson, who made his 500th career cut on the PGA TOUR on Saturday. “I love playing this tournament, but I think the postponement is a good omen because the first time I won here was ’98. We had a … suspension of the tournament, came back and finished the final round and I had my first victory here.â€� Provided he completes the task Monday, Mickelson will tie Mark O’Meara for most victories in this event. And at age 48-1/2, he would be the oldest winner of this event. “He’s been at it for a long time, and he’s done it for awhile and he’s still winning,â€� said Jason Day, who finished at 13 under and a tie for fourth with Si Woo Kim. “If he plays the way he’s playing right now, he should be able to get it done pretty easy.â€� It seems like a Mickelson win is a formality, but as Pebble Beach has shown in a week that started with the electricity being knocked out due to severe storms, and then hail pelting players on Sunday, nothing is really predictable around here. “Obviously, there’s a lot of weird things that can take place,â€� said Stallings, who will remain on-site with his family in case of a playoff. “I think my wife has changed our flight 37 times today.â€� But Mickelson, on the verge of career win No. 44, plans to take care of business. “The tournament’s not over and a lot can happen, and we’ve got two tough holes,â€� he said. “But the fact is, I’m playing well and I’ve got a nice lead and I’m looking forward to tomorrow morning.â€�

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