Floodlights for players in the practice area and for the grounds crew working on nearby greens and tees illuminated the skies around Atlantic Golf Club this morning.
Opponents Tim Jackson (on the practice tee) and Todd Burgan (on the practice green) were the first players to begin warming up. Both players are from Tennessee and have become friends through competitive golf. Burgan holds a 2-up lead in their third-round match.
They will resume third-round play on the third green. Jackson, a two-time Mid-Amateur champion, who sipped coffee as the range was about to open at 6 a.m, chatted congenially about his life and his golf.
“I don’t sleep anymore,” said the 51-year-old Jackson. “It’s roll around every two hours. It’s just a series of naps.”
His son, Austin, a high school sophomore in Germantown, Tenn., called his father last night to relay some good news: he had shot his career-best score – 69.
“He’s lying in the weeds for the old man,” said Jackson. “I may have the savvy but I wish I had the upside.”
Play resumed at 6:52 a.m. with one second-round match still on the course. Five of the third-round matches have already begun and the other three will follow in 10-minute increments. Yesterday’s rainfall totaled 1.25 inches with none recorded overnight. The weather looks cooperative for a full day of golf.
Championship officials hope to play the third round, quarterfinal round and as much as possible of the semifinals. --Pete Kowalski