|
 Only 32 players completed Friday's round before storms early in
the afternoon dumped more than one inch of rain and flooded parts of
the course, while strong winds knocked down some temporary fencing.
Officials scheduled the second round to resume at 7 a.m. local time
on Saturday with Phil Mickelson among dozens of players who did not
even start the round.
With a 50 percent chance of more storms on Saturday, there is a good
chance the event will not finish on time on Sunday.
Forty-one players at the Memphis tournament are in the field for
next week's major championship at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.
It would not be the first time a late Memphis finish spilled over
into a U.S. Open week at Pinehurst. In 1999, 54 players, not all of
whom were in the Open, had to complete the final round on Monday.
Crane did not make the U.S. Open field, but he is delighted to be
playing, and playing well, after overcoming a worrying back injury
last year.
 He was the first to admit he was on the favorable end of the draw
this week, playing in calm weather late Thursday and again early
Friday, but that did not detract from the quality of his
performance.
“It was a dream round of golf,” he told Golf Channel after following
an opening 63 with a 65.
He posted a 12-under 128 halfway total, while compatriots Davis Love
III (70) and Billy Horschel (68) at five-under were best of the
others who finished.
Swede Carl Pettersson (17 holes) and American Jason Bohn (16 holes)
were six-under, but were unable to finish the round.
Crane, a four-time PGA Tour winner, was forced to pull out of a
tournament last August due to back pain.
“I just really didn't see any hope,” he said. “I didn't understand
why my back was hurting so bad. Found out it was my golf swing.”
[to top of second column] |
Crane rehabilitated his body quicker than his game, leaving him
languishing 150th on the tour’s points list.
But it has all come together and despite a bogey at the final hole,
his first blemish all week, Crane was delighted with his
performance.
“I’m just so thrilled to be playing well,” he said.
“I just kept making putts and giving myself opportunities, and then
you don’t feel like you have to hit it so close.
“It’s certainly the way you want to play golf. The greens are so
pure and the hole just opened up.
“We had ideal scoring conditions. The wind laid down for us after
the storm yesterday and the greens softened up a bit. Today it was
calm this morning.”
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Gene
Cherry)
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2014 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
