Golf

Storms keep Curtis waiting

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 27, 2006

POTOMAC, Md. - The completion of the Booz Allen Classic - and Ben Curtis' long-awaited first victory since the 2003 British Open - was postponed for yet another day, setting up the PGA Tour's first Tuesday finish in 26 years and making for a cruel, exasperating end to a tournament that seemed doomed from the start.

Curtis was on the 17th green Monday with a seven-stroke lead when play was stopped for the day by the latest of several menacing thunderstorms.

"It's unreal," Curtis, who at 22-under leads by seven strokes over four other players, said. "You wait three years, so I guess I can wait another day."

As Curtis spoke, the rain continued to pelt the TPC at Avenel, which has soaked up more than 9 inches of rain in 1½ days. There were small ponds around the 18th green, and every sand trap was a mini-lake unto itself. The tournament was scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m. today, even though more rain is forecast.

On the course, Curtis had a 28-foot putt for par at the 17th hole when the horn sounded to stop play for the last time. He had started the day on the 12th, and got to play for all of 89 minutes - a six-minute spurt in the morning and an 83-minute gap of relative weather calm in the afternoon.

PAR-3 SHOOTOUT: Chris DiMarco filled in quite nicely for Phil Mickelson.

DiMarco and Craig Stadler each earned $90,000 to share the lead after nine holes in the two-day, skins-type event at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich. Fred Couples had $10,000, and defending champ Andy North was shut out.

Mickelson, who won nearly $1-million in the first seven years of this event, withdrew after his meltdown in the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

[Last modified June 27, 2006, 01:05:36]