ZIMBABWE’S leading professional golfer recovered from a difficult start to make the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open which is now scheduled to finish today after play was suspended during the third round due to heavy fog at Torrey Pines on Saturday. REPORT BY DANIEL NHAKANISO SPORTS REPORTER
Brendon De Jonge had looked set to miss the cut for the first time this season in the $6,1 million tournament after an opening two-over-par 74 on Thursday.
The burly Zimbabwean golfer however dug deep in the second round on Friday, carding a five-under-par 66 in his second round to jump an impressive 92 places on the leaderboard from a tie for 123rd to a respectable position 31.
So impressive was De Jonge’s second round perfomance that it was the second lowest round of the day after former world number one and tournament leader Tiger Woods’ six-under-par 65.
De Jonge sank three birdies and two impressive eagles and dropped only one shot at the par-four seventh.
The US-based Zimbabwean’s hopes of continuing with that run on Saturday were, however, dashed after heavy fog wreaked havoc on Saturday’s third round in San Diego.
Only half a dozen players made it out on to the course to start their third rounds due to the conditions.
Woods did not get out of the clubhouse and retains a two-shot lead at the top of the leaderboard.
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The players were expected to start their fourth rounds late yesterday (US time) with organisers expecting them to have to play between nine and 12 holes today.
Tee times were initially pushed back for three hours before play eventually started at Torrey Pines, but after five minutes on the course, conditions had visibly decreased and were cancelled for the day.
“We basically lost the whole day today,” PGA Tour’s vice president of rules and competition Mark Russell said at a press conference.
“We’re going to play golf all day until dark and then when it gets dark, we’ll suspend play. We’ll come back on Monday morning and finish the championship if the weather permits. That is the plan”.
Saturday’s fog delay was the first at the Farmers Insurance Open since 2005, when play was suspended for two days of the event.
