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Round 3 Notes – Zurich Classic of New Orleans

by Wire Services, March 30, 2008 Under mostly cloudy skies, humid temperatures were in the mid-to-upper 80s. Light rain fell mid-morning, with playing being stopped at 1:48 pm CT because of a threatening situation. Play was scheduled to resume at 4:15 p.m., however another cell had developed at that time, lengthening the weather delay. At 5:25 p.m., the third-round was ultimately postponed until 7:20 a.m. Sunday morning.

At the time of the suspension, Briny Baird faced the longest stretch to finish his third-round. He returns Sunday morning to face a three-foot, three-inch putt on the par-4 fourth hole. With just 35 players in the house after round-three, 46 remain to finish their round from a field of 81.

Other tournaments affected by weather delays this season have been the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (15-minute frost delay on Saturday), the FBR Open (frost delays each of the first three days), the PODS Championship (suspensions on Thursday and Friday due to dangerous situations), and last week's World Golf Championships-CA Championship (several threatening situations) which resulted in the first PGA TOUR Monday finish of the year.

81 players teed off between 7:20 am and 1 p.m. Australia's Brett Rumford played as a solo in two hours, 57 minutes.

Following opening rounds of 71-73, Daniel Chopra posted a six-under-par 66 before play was stopped. The 66 was his best score (in relation to par) since firing a seven-under-par 66 (par 73) in the final round of the Mercedes-Benz Championship. Chopra won the event following a four-hole playoff with Steve Stricker.

Dudley Hart began the 2008 season with Major Medical Extension status, needing to make $485,931 in 15 starts to retain that status for the remainder of the 2008 season. As of this week, Hart had earned $417,691, meaning he is $68,240 shy of that goal. Currently T10 through 15 holes, Hart is in excellent position to surpass that in just his sixth start of the 2008 season.

Of those who completed Round 3, the best score belonged to Daniel Chopra and John Senden. With that third round six-under-par 66, John Senden posted his best round since round-three of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.

Should his share of first place hold up through round-three, it would be just the second time in Woody Austin's career that he has led/co-led after 54-holes.

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