The third round of the Humana Challenge was delayed by strong winds that blew balls off the greens and knocked a large scoreboard into a lake.
Wind gusts reached 35 mph Saturday at the renamed Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta, Calif., forcing the tournament’s first wind stoppage since 1999 while most players were past the midway point of their rounds.
The wind blew a scoreboard into the lake flanked by the 10th and 18th holes at the Palmer course, leaving scoreboard numbers floating in the water.
The tournament will resume third-round play this morning with Mark Wilson holding a three-stroke lead over Ben Crane. Wilson was 21 under overall with three holes left. Crane had six holes remaining.
Puyallup’s Ryan Moore stayed in contention with three birdies while completing the back nine on the Palmer course in 2-under par.
Three birdies in a bogey-free back nine at the Nicklaus course helped get Tacoma’s Troy Kelly in position to make the cut. Both Kelly and Moore will return to finish the third round this morning.
Gig Harbor’s Kyle Stanley shot himself out of a paycheck with a 39 on the front nine at the Palmer course, highlighted by a double-bogey 6 at No. 9. Stanley was 3 under on the back nine.
TWO-WAY TIE AT VOLVO
Branden Grace of South Africa fell into a tie for the lead at the Volvo Golf Champions with Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium after shooting a 2-over 75 in a wet and windy third round in George, South Africa.
Grace had two double bogeys on his back nine, wasting the four-stroke lead he built after two rounds. Colsaerts shot a 69. Grace and Colsarets were at 10-under 209 heading into the final round.
South African pair Retief Goosen (70) and Charl Schwartzel (68) are a stroke back.
After two days of calm weather, the Links course showed a glimpse of its fearsome reputation as the wind and intermittent rain made for a difficult day.
It took its toll on Spain’s Pablo Martin. The three-time European Tour winner shot a 90 and was last at 20 over.
“Today the course played more like we know it,” Goosen said. “There were some holes where par was a very good score.”
FORSMAN TAKES LEAD
Dan Forsman had six back-nine birdies for a 7-under 65 and a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Champions Tour’s season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Three players were tied for second.
Forsman, a two-time winner on the 50-and-over tour, had a 12-under 132 total at Hualalai Resort.
Brad Bryant had the day’s low round, an 8-under 64, to match 2010 champion Tom Watson (65) and Jeff Sluman (66) at 10 under.
Forsman was back in the pack after playing the front nine in 35. He birdied the first two holes on the back nine, pitching to a foot at No. 10 and hitting a round-changing approach shot to No. 11.
“The shot of the day had to be my second shot at 11,” Forsman said. “I hit a 5-iron 185 yards from a gnarly, rough lie and chased it to the back edge of the green. I knocked in an 8-footer for birdie. That shot could have gone anywhere. It could have been long, over, behind the green in a bunker, right or left, but I got the three and it was a super boost to my round.”
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