HUMBLE, Texas – Shell Houston Open officials seem to have caught a break Saturday, as the forecast calls for only a slight chance of afternoon showers.
The PGA Tour had already moved up third-round tee times by four hours, with the final group going off at 10:30 a.m. ET. As a precaution, players are allowed to use preferred lies (lift, clean and place) on Saturday.
The Tour will need to be even more fortunate Sunday, however.
The final-round forecast is for 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, with “lightning throughout the day,” according to Tour meteorologist Jeff Kendra.
That, of course, could create a problem for Tour officials – a Monday finish would be just about the worst-case scenario for this Masters tune-up.