The 2009 Viking Classic has been canceled due
to weather problems.
After three consecutive days of no action, tournament officials decided at
12:15 p.m. (et) Saturday to cancel the championship.
The last time a tournament was canceled and not rescheduled was the 1996 AT&T
Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Then, the reason was unplayable course
conditions, but the last time a PGA Tour event was rained out was the 1991
Independent Insurance Agent Open.
"I wasn't involved in the one in Houston in '91. But again we tried every
single thing we could possibly do to try to play golf," said tour official
Slugger White. "It's just become impossible. We've got safety issues out there
with spectators. We have got safety issues with caddies walking up and down
hills, players. The setting is not there."
On Friday night, 1.75 inches of rain hammered Annandale Golf Club. The
decision was made to postpone play for Saturday, but officials said the first
round would take place Sunday morning. A meeting would occur around 12 p.m. to
decide the fate of the tournament.
At that time, officials determined that Annandale Golf Club was unplayable and
the event was called off.
This championship has had a history of weather-related problems.
In 2005, the event was moved from October to November after Hurricane Katrina.
The Viking Classic has been shortened due to weather nine times since its
inception back in 1968.
There is no PGA Tour event scheduled for the U.S. next week. There is the
World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions event in China.
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