What could have been

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- It's kind of tough to celebrate dodging a storm when we've already been hit plenty this week (the equivalent would be Keith Richards on the heels of a 48-hour bender celebrating a switch to decaf), but it's worth noting that the completion of the third round was very much in jeopardy this afternoon.

As you might have noticed from the ever-present radar shots on the telecast, there was plenty of rain in the area around Bethpage Black. And sure enough, a spy in Rockville Centre a mere 15 miles away says they were hit by three separate downpours since 3 o'clock. Bethpage Black, meanwhile, stayed completely dry.

Given the amount of rain this course has already absorbed in the last few days, just one of those storms could have put off play for the day and then delayed the start of the fourth round until later tomorrow.

So I suppose we're lucky, even if it doesn't quite feel like it.

-- *Sam Weinman *