Nothing kills momentum like an untimely delay. Imagine being in full form, making clutch putts, feeling the rhythm—only to be forced to stop and wait. That’s exactly what happened at THE PLAYERS Championship. We all know that the final round was abruptly suspended due to severe weather at the TPC Sawgrass, resulting in a 4-hour delay.
Just when golf fans were anticipating Rory McIlroy’s shot at history—potentially securing his second win of the year before Masters for the first time—BOOM, play was halted. At 1:15 p.m., officials called for a suspension, leaving players and fans in limbo. With momentum disrupted and uncertainty looming, the challenge wasn’t just about skill anymore—it was about adapting to chaos.
The PGA Tour had tried to get ahead of the problem. Final-round tee times were moved up, with threesomes going off both the 1st and 10th tees from 8-10:01 a.m. But even with the adjustments, the inevitable hit. A powerful cold front swept through Northeast Florida, bringing strong winds, heavy rain, and thunderstorms—conditions no golfer, no matter how elite, can control.
“We’ve been reviewing this weather for three or four days, and unfortunately, it’s held its pattern,” said Stephen Cox, vice president of rules and tournament administration. “It looks like this line of storms is going to be quite intense.”
The storm wasn’t just a Florida problem. It had already wreaked havoc across the central and southeastern U.S., causing flash floods, tornadoes, and wildfires. By Saturday evening, at least 20 people had lost their lives across Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma, while hundreds of thousands were left without power, according to NBC News.
With sunset expected at 7:34 p.m., the PGA Tour was racing against time, hoping to avoid a Monday finish—the tournament’s first since 2021. “This strategy gives ourselves the best possible chance of completing the championship on Sunday,” Cox explained. But the inevitable happened. McIlroy and JJ Spaun will now compete in a 3-hole playoff to decide the winner.
Final-round play was suspended at 1:15 p.m. ET due to inclement weather in the area.
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) March 16, 2025
It’s not just the players who suffer when a tournament gets delayed—it’s the fans, too. Picture this: you’re locked in, rooting for your favorite golfer, watching the drama unfold, and then… nothing. Just hours of waiting, uncertainty, and—if you’re lucky—reruns of past rounds. While no one can control Mother Nature, plenty of fans believe the PGA Tour could have handled things better.
Frustrated fans call out the league’s handling of weather delays
Some fans were just plain fed up. “They knew it was coming. Should have just started an hour earlier,” one wrote. Tour did adjust the tee times and pairings, but guess it just wasn’t enough. “Freaking clowns. I’d rather watch the course being rained on then second round coverage. F the PGA tour and the tournament,” wrote another agitated fan. And, of course, some didn’t hold back on their disappointment with how the final round played out. “What a dog s**t final round, honestly.”
Golf analyst Michael McEwan summed up one of the biggest frustrations, tweeting, “Why the PGA Tour, which has a sponsor for everything, doesn’t have an Official Floodlights Partner is beyond me.”
And he has a point. The PGA Tour has 52 official partners, covering everything from FedEx (logistics) to John Deere (landscaping). Yet, despite all these sponsorships, there’s no official floodlight partner. That seems like a missed opportunity, especially when delays like this one push play into the evening. It’s not like the Tour isn’t investing in technology. In 2023, they introduced solar-powered ShotLink systems to improve data tracking, proving they’re committed to innovation. But what about practical solutions for delays? Floodlights could allow play to continue safely into the evening, reducing the impact of weather stoppages. Given how easily the PGA Tour secures sponsors, finding one for lighting solutions doesn’t seem like a stretch.
Of course, floodlights aren’t the only concern. Fans also wanted better communication. “Is it too much to ask for an update per hour?” one fan vented, echoing the frustrations of many who were left in the dark—both literally and figuratively. Then came the bigger scheduling debate. “Why are so many PGA events played in the south? Disruptive storms. Horrible, humid weather. And limited course variety. Extend the west coast swing.”
It’s a fair question. The PGA Tour heavily favors Southern courses early in the year to avoid colder conditions up north. But as this delay proves, the South’s unpredictable storms and humidity often disrupt play. Of course, weather delays can happen anywhere—even the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines saw play suspended this year due to high winds. That said, the West Coast generally sees fewer extreme storms than the Southeast, making the idea of extending the West Coast Swing worth considering.
Safe to say, patience was running thin. While delays are part of the game, the frustration stems from whether more could have been done to prevent this level of disruption. With questions about scheduling, communication, and contingency planning, fans have made it clear—they expect better from the PGA Tour.
The post ‘Dog Sh*t Final Round’: Jay Monahan & Co Under Fire as Mismanagement Forces THE PLAYERS to Get Delayed appeared first on EssentiallySports.
