USPGA Blog: Saturday

Paul Mahoney reports from Kiawah Island and the 2012 USPGA Championship

Tiger Woods
(Image credit: Getty Images)

So the PGA knew storms were coming at 5pm and they still sent leaders Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh out at 3pm. Very smart.

It should come as no surprise to anyone, then, that they only played seven holes before the sky turned all Jimi Hendrix and the purple haze enveloped the Ocean Course.

There was thunder and there was lightening. And that was just from Rory McIlroy - before the rains came.

The Northern Irishman whipped up his own storm, breezing to five birdies in seven holes and completing the from nine in 32 strokes to share the lead at six under par with Singh.

He even had a dalliance with a tree. He drove his tee shot at the third into timber and was about to declare it lost when a TV camera crew spotted it jammed in the knot of a branch.

The golfing gods are surely on his side. But they had clearly, yet again, abandoned, Woods. He started to make a passable impression of Norman Wisdom as he contorted his body and looked like he was about to fall over after thrashing at several shots from the rough. Maybe it was a rain dance.

Woods was three over par for his round when play was suspended, and one under for the championship. He was the only one on the leaderboard delighted with the break.

To catch Rory, he'll have to do something he's never done before as a pro - win from behind. Reserve the sofa for Super Sunday. The leaders will play at least 27 holes. The Olympics is not the only sport today that will end with a marathon.

Pub quiz knowledge: Thomas Bjorn played the front nine in one under without a single par. He started with four birdies, followed up with three bogeys, then went birdie, bogey. Who cares what he shot on the back nine (bogey, seven pars, bogey, bogey).

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