PGA Championship: Warm, mostly dry conditions forecast for Sunday's final round at Bethpage Black
Dustin Johnson hits out of the rough on the seventh hole during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
A warmer stretch of weather, reminiscent of summer, will unfold for the weekend rounds at the 101st PGA Championship at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.
A shift in the golfing calendar was enacted two years ago to move the tournament to May. For years, the PGA Championship served as the final major of the golfing season and was played in August.
This is the first time the PGA Championship has been played in May since 1949.
This past week began with cool and unsettled weather on Monday and Tuesday. Players, including Tiger Woods, could be seen wearing winter hats and long-sleeved shirts while strolling the course. Temperatures were in the 40s on Monday in the New York area and some rain was also falling throughout the day.
Woods told ESPN he visited the course last week, which he called a “good move” because of the cool, unsettled weather earlier last week.
Woods since missed the cut Friday to make it into round 3 on Saturday.
Tiger Woods flips his ball as he walks along the ninth green during a practice round for the PGA Championship golf tournament, Monday, May 13, 2019, in Farmingdale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
Like Saturday, the final round on Sunday will be clear of any lengthy weather delays.
"On Sunday, there will be a partly sunny sky with afternoon highs in the upper 60s," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.
While much of the day should be dry, there is a small chance that a brief shower rolls through the area during the early morning hours. A shower or thunderstorm could return during the late evening, but likely not until after the tournament has ended.
As the course continues to dry out, it could benefit the long hitters as the course will provide extra bounce, but it could also make landing shots on the green more tricky.
Several golfers noted during Monday's practice that the course was playing long, according to the Associated Press.
Bethpage Black, located in Bethpage State Park, has hosted several major tournaments before, including the 2009 U.S. Open. That tournament was extended to Monday due to frequent rounds of rain.
The continental United States just recorded its wettest 12 month period in recorded history. That water is a concern for grounds crews preparing for the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, New York. AccuWeather’s Kena Vernon is inside the ropes to see what’s being done to keep the course in tip top shape.
"With it soft like this — probably going to be soft the first few days — there will be a lot of long clubs in, so it will be to your advantage if you’re striking your irons well, especially your long irons," Lucas Glover, the winner of that 2009 tournament at Bethpage told the AP.
Bethpage is about 40 miles east of New York City. About 200,000 are expected to attend the tournament.
Stormy weather in Augusta, Georgia, last month caused golf’s first major of the year, the Masters Tournament, to move up the start time of its final round.
Golfers also encountered chilly, wet weather during the final round of The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, back in March.
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