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First round of Ally Challenge pushed to Saturday due to flooding

Steve Stricker pumps his fist after his birdie putt on the No. 15 green during the final round of the 2023 Kaulig Companies Championship at Firestone Country Club, Sunday, July 16, 2023, in Akron, Ohio.

The first round of the Ally Challenge was postponed from Friday to Saturday due to flooding at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Mich.

PGA Tour Champions rules official Brian Claar said they will plan to have golfers play 36 holes Saturday. The first round will tee off at 7:15 a.m. ET.

The Ally Challenge held a two-round pro-am earlier in the week, and Thursday’s second round was delayed and reduced to just nine holes due to overnight rain in the area.

Things only got wetter heading into Friday.

“We woke up, we had 2 inches of rain last night, (Thursday) was a total of 3, and there was literally 2 feet of water in the fifth fairway today,” Claar told reporters. “It was all the way across to 15 and 6, and 13’s flooded. The maintenance crew did an incredible job with pumps, but can’t get rid of the water.”

Regular events on the PGA Tour Champions are three rounds long, played Friday through Sunday. A Monday finish would be another option for tournament organizers, but Claar said the weather forecast offers a positive outlook for finishing on time Sunday afternoon.

Steve Stricker, who holds a sizeable lead on the Charles Schwab Cup money list, is the tournament’s defending champion.

–Field Level Media

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