The second round of the BMW Australian PGA championship was washed out Friday due to rain and an unplayable course; Tournament will now be played over 54 holes for the first time in its history; Watch live on Saturday from 2.30am on Sky Sports Golf
Friday 22 November 2024 07:42, UK
The BMW Australian PGA Championship has been reduced to 54 holes after torrential rain made the Royal Queensland course unplayable on Friday.
The second round of the opening event of the 2025 DP World Tour season was abandoned before play got under way at 11.30am local time (1.30am GMT) following almost 250mm of rainfall in the Brisbane area in the past seven days.
Due to the logistics of next week's ISPS HANDA Australian Open, which will be played over two courses at Kingston Heath and Victoria, organisers have decided to play round two on Saturday with the same scheduled tee times.
The third and final round will now take place on Sunday to complete the 54-hole event, marking the first time in the tournament's 95-year history that it will not be played over four rounds.
Jose Maria Zamora, the DP World Tour tournament director for the BMW Australian PGA Championship, said in statement: "Continued downpours throughout the morning have left a number of fairways at Royal Queensland Golf Club saturated and the course has been deemed unplayable today.
"We plan to start the second round of the BMW Australian PGA Championship at 6am on Saturday, with the third and final round on Sunday.
"We want to ensure we are able to bring this incredible tournament to the planned conclusion on Sunday, mindful of the logistics of playing next week's ISPS HANDA Australian Open over two courses."
Australia's Elvis Smylie holds a narrow lead after Thursday's first round, where holed out from a bunker at the par-five ninth - his final hole - to finish with three birdies in his last four holes and an opening-round 65.
The 22-year-old is a shot ahead of compatriot Matias Sanchez, France's Victor Perez, Switzerland's Joel Girrbach and Chile's Cristobal Del Solar.
Three-time winner Cameron Smith, the 2022 Open champion, was part of an eight-strong group on four under par which includes former world No 1 Jason Day, with defending champion Min Woo Lee three shots off the pace after an opening 68.
Who will win the BMW Australian PGA Championship? Watch throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday from 2.30am on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the DP World Tour and more with NOW.
