With winds already gusting up to 30 mph in Saturday’s third round, the forecast gets far worse for Sunday, going from scattered showers in the morning to thunderstorms and a 100-percent chance of rain in the afternoon. Further troubling is the prediction of wind gusts up to 47 mph, which could force the stoppage of play, even if lightning doesn’t.
The tour sent a notice to the players on Friday night and said that play could be extended into Monday. Unfortunately, the forecast isn’t great for that day either, with an 80-percent chance of rain.
How concerned is the tour about the weather? Golf Channel’s Gabby Herzig reported on Saturday that, in anticipation of the high winds, the green speeds on the Port Royal course have been slowed down to 9.5 on the Stimpmeter. That's a lot when the standard tour speed is 12. She also said the tournament is removing all high-profile signage that could be blown over.
This has to be a nervy time for the players—many of whom are battling for their cards for 2027. From Bermuda, they’ll head to Puerto Vallarta for the VidantaWorld Mexico Open. That’s a 2,600-mile flight, though they’ll likely be on charters, since a commercial filght takes almost 14 hours with layovers.