Lightning strikes at Deutsche Bank Championship

RAIN and lightning forced the PGA Tour to scrap about an hour of the third round in the Deutsche Bank Championship as they prepared for a delayed start last night.

Scores were thrown out and the round was set to start again with players in threesomes going off both sides at the TPC Boston.

Zach Johnson and Stuart Appleby, in the first group, had reached the sixth hole. Webb Simpson was already two-under for his round.

Sergio Garcia was the 36-hole leader at 13-under 129, and while there were 28 players within six shots of the lead, the 12-shot 
differential between first and last place was among the widest this year.

With the restart, Johnson and Appleby went from being the first group out to being in the last group to tee off on the tenth.

On Saturday, Garcia had opened with five birdies in seven holes, closed with an eagle, and ended up as the target for the 28 players within six shots of his lead with 36 holes to play. And somehow, that included Phil Mickelson.

On another day of soft conditions and plenty of birdies on the TPC Boston, Garcia had a seven-under 64 in the morning which stood as the 36-hole lead when the day was over. The Spaniard was at 13-under 129, one short of the tournament record, and had a one-shot lead over Roberto Castro and Henrik Stenson.

Tiger Woods, in the 1-2-3-ranked grouping with Mickelson and Adam Scott that attracted massive galleries, made a 35-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a 67 and was among those within six shots of the lead.

Mickelson, however, managed to steal the show with a rollercoaster 71.

“I was playing terrible, and I shot even par,” Mickelson said. “I could easily have shot myself out of the tournament. I got it in the hazard I don’t know how many times.

“If I go on and play the way I believe I’m going to this weekend, I’m going to look back at those nine holes as the key to the entire tournament.”