Three holes into Rory McIlroy penultimate round at the 94th US PGA Championship a tee shot landing in a tree branch proved the height of his concerns. By the time the young Northern Irishman had completed an almost flawless front nine issues of climate had moved firmly to the fore.
As the field at the season's final major was withdrawn from the course at 4.50pm local time because of a severe storm McIlroy had more cause than most to taste frustration. Play was never restarted. The 23-year-old had reached the turn in 32 – saving par at the 3rd despite an enforced penalty drop from timber – to head the US PGA field alongside Vijay Singh.
"The only talk between the players was that, if they knew this weather was coming, why didn't they put us out a little bit earlier," McIlroy said. "But it's fine. I'm happy to play 27 holes on Sunday and, if they'd wanted me to play 36, that would have been OK as well. You've just got to take what you are given and make the best of it. I'm happy with where I am. I'm in a great position."
As McIlroy and Adam Scott charged, Tiger Woods would have been grateful for clubhouse salvation. Woods had dropped three shots in his first seven holes, with the putting touch which had generally served him so well over Thursday and Friday deserting him. Uncharacteristically, Woods displayed signs of nervousness.
Due to the incompletion of Saturday's play, it may well be that this championship becomes more notable for outside influences than whoever emerges as the victor. The second round was routinely described as "brutal" by competitors due to high winds while a delay to the extent of what followed a day later has an obvious and messy knock-on influence on a tournament's climax.
When third-round play was officially suspended, at 6.30pm, confirmation arrived that the third round would re-start at 7.45am on Sunday. The final 18 holes will be completed from a two-tee start and in threeballs, rather than the standard pairs. That is assuming no further weather chaos.
In such scenarios players can land on the favourable side of fortune. Bo van Pelt had finished his round within a minute of play being suspended, with the American's 67 catapulting him into contention. Padraig Harrington was another to take advantage of being able to complete his round.
The Irishman started his third round at two over par but moved to four under for the day within nine holes. A double bogey on the 10th halted that run but Harrington was still content with carding 69 for an aggregate of one under.
"It was a good round overall," he said. "There were some highs, I made a very bad double bogey but I got it going right again on the last couple of holes.
"I've got to be comfortable. It was the score I deserved.
Luke Donald's work was also done long before the klaxon sounded, although the Englishman would take a bittersweet view on that. Donald would surely swap the passing of another major without victory for handling some rough weather. A third-round 74 leaves the Englishman making up the numbers at eight over par.
"I said before the Open I needed to be less uptight heading to the 1st tee, not put so much pressure on myself as the world No1," Donald said. "And I think I succeeded in that, at Lytham and here. I've felt a lot more comfortable on the golf course and that has to be the way forward. I've hit plenty of really good shots and with some of the right breaks, I could have been close this week. For some reason the golfing gods have not been on my side.
"The course has definitely got the better of me. The designer, Peter Dye, is just kicking my ass and I need a good finish to try to get back to 1-1 against him and his course.
"Yes, the majors have been disappointing. I had an outside sniff at The Open but other than that I haven't been in contention. But I won't be going away from here thinking: 'Geez, I've got a lot of work to be done on my game.' It was just one of those freak weeks."
In more ways than one, alas.