Orlando, FL – A severe thunderstorm blew through Bay Hill Club & Lodge on Sunday causing damage to the course and the storm also pushed the finish of the Arnold Palmer Invitational to Monday.
Defending champion Tiger Woods was three strokes clear of the field when play was halted. Woods, who will ascend to the top of the world rankings for the first time since October 2010 with a victory, was 1-under par through two holes of the final round.
Woods and playing partner Rickie Fowler had just completed the second hole when the horns blew to stop play.
The delay was about an hour and half old when officials called play for the day. The round will resume at 10 a.m. (ET) on Monday.
"Golf course is gone, bunkers are gone. We're going to need time for the course to drain," said PGA Tour vice president of rules and competition Mark Russell.
NBC broadcaster Dan Hicks tweeted that five of their camera towers were blown over in the storm. Power was knocked out in the clubhouse, and the media center was evacuated as well.
Fowler parred the first two holes to remain at 9-under par. He shares second place with 2011 PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, Ken Duke and John Huh.
Bradley had pars at one and two, before converting back-to-back birdie efforts at three and four. Duke parred three straight, then birdied No. 4. Huh also started with a pair of pars.
Mark Wilson, Brian Stuard, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Thorbjorn Olesen and Justin Rose share sixth place at minus-8.
NOTES: Thirty-three players managed to complete their rounds before the storm rolled through ... Masters champion Bubba Watson fired a 5-under 67 to finish four rounds at 4-under-par 284. Of those that finished their four rounds, he is the closest to the leaders ... Sergio Garcia, who played a shot out of a tree on No. 10 during the final round, withdrew during the weather delay.
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