Arnold Palmer Invitational to Have Monday Finish


Just after 2:00 p.m. ET Sunday, dangerous weather swept through Bay Hill Club & Lodge the Orlando area, eventually causing the final round of the $6.2 million Arnold Palmer Invitational to be suspended until Monday.

The front, which involved a tornado warning, brought high winds, heavy rain and lightning, sending the players and fans scurrying to safety.

Defending champion Tiger Woods began the day with a two-stroke lead over Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose but completed only two holes. He birdied the par-3 second before heading to the clubhouse.

When play re-starts Monday morning, Woods has a three-shot lead over Rose, Fowler, Keegan Bradley and John Huh.

Woods is seeking his eighth victory in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. If he pulls off the win, which would tie the all-time mark for the most wins in the same tournament by Sam Snead (Greater Greensboro Open), would also allow him to supplant Rory McIlroy as the top-ranked player in the world.

The storm packed winds of 60 mph and were strong enough to topple a TV tower behind the 10th green. The rain caused small ponds to form where they weren't supposed to; a fish was found in the middle of the 18th fairway.

Before play was halted, the shot of the day was by Sergio Garcia. When his errant drive was spotted in a crotch of branches in a tree right of the 10th fairway, the Spaniard climbed the tree. After positioning and repositioning himself, the athletic 33-year-old finally turned his back to the fairway and hit a one-handed, backward-facing wedge out to the short grass, eliciting big cheers from the nearby gallery.

Unfortunately, Garcia double-bogeyed the par-4 and ended up withdrawing from the tournament during the rain delay.

Several players completed their rounds before the suspension, with Bubba Watson carding the day's low score, a 5-under 67.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html.