Wind wreaks havoc at Sunnehanna Amateur, reduces tournament to 54 holes
· Yahoo Sports
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Gusting winds forced the suspension of Thursday’s second round of the 85th Sunnehanna Amateur Tournament for Champions and prompted officials to shorten the event from 72 holes to 54 for the first time in a decade.
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Originally, the 49 golfers who played part of their rounds before the tournament was halted at 10:52 a.m. were to complete their rounds Friday, while the remainder of the field would play 18 holes under different conditions in the second round.
But later Thursday afternoon, the Sunnehanna Amateur committee reversed course and announced that none of Thursday’s round will count. Instead, the entire second round will be played Friday on the par-70 Sunnehanna Country Club course in Westmont.
“We have decided to scrap the round for today – totally erased. Round 2 is (Friday) starting at 7 o’clock,” Sunnehanna Amateur co-chairman Brian Chirillo said Thursday afternoon.
Sunnehanna Amateur co-chairman John Yerger explained that the committee adapted as information evolved, especially regarding several holes.
“We evaluated the information we had available in relationship to where players stood versus par,” Yerger said.
“There was not necessarily an equal number, but a fair number of players that were under par – 12 players under par and 17 players over par, and a bunch of folks in between.
“We thought at that time, it was best that we don’t scrub the round and go with the existing score and finish up the round (Friday).”
That line of thinking changed after further discussion and input.
“Additional information became available regarding, especially the fifth hole, and issues on the second hole and the sixth hole, which are always problem greens for us,” Yerger said. “Those holes were leading to unplayable conditions, some of which we were not familiar with.
“When we looked at that information and talking with the committee and really experienced rules officials, and also for the reputation of the tournament that this was the better outcome.”
High winds had been in the forecast. Weather.gov issued a weather alert with a wind advisory from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday.
A total of 49 players in the 97-player field began their second round Thursday morning. The first group had played to the 13th hole when play was halted at 10:52 a.m.
At 1 p.m., the players were informed of the decision to halt play until Friday, and a public announcement followed near the first tee box approximately 15 minutes later.
Wind gusts reportedly as high as 50 miles per hour impacted play and led to the suspension, the announcement noted.
“The conditions were unreal,” said University of New Mexico golfer Thayer Plewe, whose group teed off at 9:30 a.m. and completed four holes.
“I’m on hole five. All three of us hit our chips within 10 feet and they all blew to 60 feet away,” said Plewe, who had bogeys on 2 and 3 and is 1-under-par overall. “On the last hole, one of our guys hit his putt 8 feet by (the hole) and it blew to 6 feet short. So, it blew 14 feet back at it.”
First-round co-leader Grant Roscich, a University of North Carolina player from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, teed off at 8:30 a.m. and completed his front nine.
Roscich made birdie putts on Nos. 4 and 7 and made the turn at 7-under overall through 27 holes.
Kelvin Hernandez of Caguas, Puerto Rico, had a share of the first-round lead at 5-under.
The University of North Carolina-Greensboro player had a 12:30 p.m. tee time Thursday and didn’t begin his second round prior to the suspension.
The players who did compete Thursday shared similar stories about the gusting wind.
“We had a few bad instances,” said Jake Birdwell, a University of Illinois golfer from Blaine, Minnesota. “On two, I hit a putt from 4 feet that went 30 feet down the hill. Every time I’d mark it, it would roll back between my legs and it wouldn’t stay. I finally got it to stay. I putted up a couple feet short and it rolled back another 6 feet. I had 8 feet and made that one.”
Birdwell, who had a double bogey on No. 2 and is 2-over in the tournament, also watched others dealing with the wind.
“On hole six, my playing partner hit it to 20 feet, it stopped, and while we were walking up, it rolled all the way off the green,” Birdwell said. “He chipped to 10 feet, and while he putted, it was dead center, gusts leave it an inch short and it never stopped rolling until it was off the green.”
Sunnehanna’s Chirillo has encountered his share of weather-related delays and postponements during the Sunnehanna Amateur, but Thursday was different.
“Nope,” Chirillo replied when asked if he had ever dealt with a wind-related suspension.
“Weather, yes, but not because of the wind.”
The 2016 Sunnehanna Amateur was shortened to 54 holes after rain wiped out the second round. Future PGA Tour star Collin Morikawa shot a final-round 62 to win with a three-round 199. The tournament was only three rounds in 2004 (Jack Ferguson won) and 1975 (Jaime Gonzales won).
A group of golfers who played partial rounds Thursday spoke to officials about other potential scenarios, such as starting a complete round for all golfers Friday, rather than part of the field resuming play.
The players addressed the topic among themselves for several minutes.
“I don’t agree with the decision,” Birdwell said before the committee decided to start the second round in its entirety Friday.
He explained his thinking.
“There’s nothing we can do. Some people haven’t teed off and they don’t have to play in any wind,” Birdwell said. “The tournament is now shortened, and half the field has played in different conditions than the other half.”
Jessy Huebner, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, had similar sentiments.
“We got to 21/2 holes,” said Huebner, whose group began play at 10:10 a.m. “Hole 2, my playing partner was past the green and hit a chip to about 2 feet. The wind gusted and blew it completely off the green.
“He ended up making double (bogey). I had a 5-footer for par, missed it low, the wind gusted and brings it back to 30 feet.
“I think it’s unfair after that to resume play the next day.”
Chirillo said the players’ input was only one factor that went into the decision.
“Multiple reasons,” Chirillo said. “There were just as many of them that thought it was the right decision, but that had a factor. I can’t say it didn’t have a factor in the decision. But the weather seems to improve (Friday) and the winds should not be as bad. There were multiple factors discussed.”
The first round of the now 54-hole tournament had been completed Wednesday. Chirillo said a cut will be made after Friday’s round.
“You have to play in it,” Plewe said. “You play the conditions.
“You have to deal with it and keep your head in the right spot.”