Weather at Genesis Open forces Round 1 scores to be reset

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – Consistent heavy rain forced a suspension of play at the Genesis Open shortly after it began, with the PGA TOUR announcing the handful of holes played by 23 golfers would be wiped out.

In a rare occurrence, TOUR officials decided to negate early scores by the golfers who began rounds from 6:40 a.m. local time at Riviera Country Club until the suspension at 7:30 a.m. due to deteriorating conditions.

The last time a round was reset on the PGA TOUR was at the 2013 Dell Technologies Championship (third round).

The decision came after it was agreed those on the course had been subjected to very poor light conditions with visibility actually getting worse - plus some of the tee boxes were already flooding and some hole locations could have posed problems.

“We don't do that very often, but if I had it to do over again, we would have delayed the starting times,” Vice President of Rules of Competition Mark Russell told PGA TOUR Radio of the wipe out.

“It would be great if we could play some golf today … losing Thursday puts you behind the 8-ball right off the bat.”

After what PGA TOUR meteorologist Wade Stettner said was in excess of 1.75 inches of rain at the course play was indeed set to start at 1:40 p.m. local time.

Currently forecasts have rain returning on Friday and then again on Sunday putting a regulation Sunday afternoon finish potentially under threat.

“Everyone would like to have a champion on Sunday evening, but we're dealing with Thursday right now,” rules official Steve Rintoul said.

“The golf course was quickly going downhill after 50 minutes of play to where we had teeing grounds ahead of where the first groups were that were quickly becoming unplayable.”

Rain issues are not uncommon at the Genesis Open although officials are hopeful they won’t have a repeat of 2005 when Adam Scott beat Chad Campbell in a Monday playoff after the event was shortened to 36 holes.

The win is not credited as an official title for Scott, who has 13 in his PGA TOUR career.

Last week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am also had weather issues and needed a Monday finish before Phil Mickelson completed his 44th career win.

Mickelson was one of the 23 players who gets a restart at Riviera after he made a miraculous par on the drivable par-4 10th.

Mickelson holed his fourth shot from a bunker, his third from the sand on the hole, only to have it wiped from the record books.