Stormy weather played a cruel joke Saturday on the $6.2 million Zurich Classic of New Orleans at TPC Louisiana.
There will be an excruciatingly long anything-can-happen day Sunday before the 2008 champion is crowned. And considering who is where on a jam-packed leaderboard, there's more than a $1 million first-place check on the line for a slew of contenders, many of whom are seeking their first PGA TOUR victory or a berth in the 2008 Masters, which begins April 7.
Storms packing lightning rolled into the New Orleans area at about 1:30 CT, forcing a suspension of play. And while players were put back in position approximately two hours later, another string of electricity laden storm cells finally forced play to be postponed until Sunday at 6:25 p.m.
Play will resume at 7:20 a.m. CT, with four players -- second-round leader Briny Baird, Woody Austin, Peter Lonard and Nationwide Tour graduate Nicholas Thompson -- tied at the top at eight under par. Five others -- John Senden, Andres Romero, 2005 Zurich champion Tim Petrovic, Steve Elkington and John Merrick -- are one shot back at seven under. Another 12 players are at six under.
Only three players among the top 21 on the leader board -- Senden (66), Daniel Chopra and Jonathan Byrd who are six under -- completed the third round. Meanwhile Baird, who is seeking his first PGA TOUR victory, seems to have drawn the shortest straw. He has 33 grueling holes in front of him Sunday.
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