Australian Aaron Baddeley completed only one hole before bad weather wreaked havoc during the third round at the US PGA Championship today.
Baddeley made a par to remain at two over, three strokes behind halfway American leader J.B. Holmes, who was among six players who did not even make it to the first tee at Oakland Hills.
After play was halted at 2.26pm (local time), a series of thunderstorms rolled through, preventing any further competition, and creating the distinct possibility of a Monday finish.
Officials hope to complete 36 holes tomorrow, with play scheduled to resume at the crack of dawn, but it will be touch and go if there are any further delays.
Twenty-five players completed the third round, including five of the eight Australians who made the cut, but none of the Australians moved into contention.
The other Australians unable to complete the round were Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington.
Appleby improved his position, picking up two strokes in 12 holes to be four over after 12 holes, while Elkington dropped a shot to slip to five over after seven holes.
Argentine Andres Romero made the biggest move, shooting a sizzling five-under 65 that matched the course record.
"Almost perfect," Romero said of his round. "I can't believe it. I have a chance tomorrow."
That remains to be seen, although Romero's two-over 212 total may well be within striking distance of the leaders when the third round is completed.
Romero took advantage of slightly easier conditions after the greens were watered overnight, running up no fewer than seven birdies.
It was a far cry from the second round, when he dropped six shots in three holes shortly before the turn.
Romero, who played the back nine first, had a quadruple bogey at the par-four 16th, where he put two balls into the pond guarding the green, and he also double-bogeyed the par-four 18th.
"After that I got mad and played not very concentrated the rest of the round," he admitted.
"I couldn't come back after that eight, because I was mad.
"I was fighting for the lead and suddenly I was trying to make the cut, so I was going mad the rest of the round."
Romero, 27, is an exciting young player.
He was right in the hunt at last year's British Open, until his second shot at the 71st hole took a wicked bounce and ricocheted out-of-bounds.
This March in New Orleans he posted his maiden US PGA Tour victory.
