PGA Championship 2023: First round delayed by nearly two hours due to frost at Oak Hill

PGA Championship 2023: First round delayed by nearly two hours due to frost at Oak Hill

The opening round of the 105th PGA Championship was delayed by almost two hours due to frost at Oak Hill Country Club.

Play had been scheduled to begin at 7am local time (midday BST) in Rochester, only for a freeze warning in the region and overnight frost to delay the second men's major of the year from getting under way.

Tournament organisers released a statement early on Thursday morning to confirm the news, which read: "Due to frost, all Oak Hill Country Club practice facilities and the golf course are currently closed.
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"To protect playing surfaces, everyone on-site must stay off any grass and gates will not open until the frost clears."

Officials later announced that practice facilities would open at 7.35am local time (12.35pm BST) and the practice putting green around 10 minutes later, with the opening round then getting underway at 8.50am local time (1.50pm BST).

2003 PGA champion Shaun Micheel struck the opening tee shot at the par-four first, following a delay of one hour and 50 minutes, with the first group starting at the 10th then getting under way a few minutes later.

The delay means the opening round will not be completed before darkness on Thursday, meaning the later starters will need to return on Friday morning to finish their rounds.

Weather conditions had been a concern for the event when the PGA Championship was moved from late summer to May in 2019, after Oak Hill had already been confirmed as this year's host, with cold conditions always likely due to its location in upstate New York.

No further frost delays are expected during the remainder of the tournament, although strong winds are forecast for the final three days and rain is likely on Saturday.

Speaking on Tuesday, the PGA of America's chief championships officer Kerry Haigh said: "Wherever the championship is (in May) appears as though it will bring some more variety to the weather than we're used to having when we played in August.

"There is the possibility of a frost again on Thursday morning. We had a frost Tuesday morning. We had a couple of frosts last week. That may delay the start. Hopefully it won't. But if it does, we'll adapt.

"We've got the chance of rain on Saturday and hopefully clear on Sunday. That's sort of the fun of golf. It's an outdoor game and we can't wait to see what Mother Nature brings as well."

Watch the PGA Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 1pm and 2pm throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports Golf.