The pounding rain, hail and accompanying lightning that pushed through the area late yesterday afternoon will have an impact -- albeit relatively minimal -- on today's opening round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont.
"We got between four-tenths and one-half of an inch of rain in about an hour," United States Golf Association agronomist Tim Moraghan said. "There was some debris on the golf course, but it seems fine. The bunkers seem fine and the fairways are fine. Our biggest concern and primary focus, obviously, are the putting surfaces."
Moraghan admitted that while the greens were in tremendous condition before the severe weather arrived, it could potentially take "a couple of days to get them back to where we would have the hardest test. It isn't going to be what we thought [for today's round.]"
Asked if there would be any delays on the start of play today, which is set to begin at 7 a.m., Moraghan replied, "I hope not."
First Published: June 14, 2007, 2:45 a.m.