Weather delays are nothing new on the PGA Tour. Whether armed with prior forecasts or not, Mother Nature has a way of flipping the script, prompting players and the organization to adapt on the fly. From sudden downpours to lightning delays, tournaments have repeatedly felt the sting of unpredictable conditions. Just a couple of months ago, in June, the U.S. Open experienced a similar weather delay of over 90 minutes in its final round. Apparently, the skies don’t care if you’re the first in the field or the last; it flips around at leisure. Now, as the St. Jude Championship unfolds, the skies have once again turned from friend to foe. Unfortunately, the PGA Tour had to intervene with decisive measures.

Heading into the FedEx St. Jude Championship, the forecast painted an almost picture-perfect scene for golf in Memphis — blazing sunshine, bone-dry skies, and barely a whisper of wind. Meteorologists were calling for calm mornings with speeds hovering at 0–5 mph, creeping only slightly higher in the afternoons. Rain? Nowhere in sight. The outlook suggested that, aside from the sweltering mid-90s heat, weather wouldn’t factor into the tournament at all. But as it turns out, those predictions couldn’t have been further from the truth.

The weather, being unpredictable as always, can shift at any moment, making forecasts lose their power. And that is exactly what happened in Round 2 of the St. Jude Championship of the playoffs. The PGA Tour called for the suspension of the second round on Friday, 3:31 p.m. CT, due to a “dangerous weather situation.” The sudden halt came as storms moved into the Memphis area, bringing the kind of weather situation the PGA Tour doesn’t take lightly. A calm, sunny day quickly turned as dark clouds and lightning forced players off the course. Fans scrambled for cover, and Round 2 was left hanging in limbo — a stark reminder that in golf, even the most optimistic forecasts can unravel in minutes. PGA Tour Communications updated fans across the globe on their X.

The weather didn’t show signs of getting better as the day progressed. In fact, Accuweather satellite showed heavy thunderstorms stationed in the area an hour and 25 minutes after the suspension. By evening, the Tour confirmed that play would not resume on Friday. Instead, Round 2 would pick back up at 7:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, with the third round following in a condensed format. Consequently, PGA Tour Communications followed up on X. It confirmed that the officials are working to keep the playoff schedule on track despite the disruption. According to the post, threesomes would go off both the 1st and 10th tees, starting between 9:50 a.m. and 11:50 a.m.

The suspension left 21 of the 69 players mid-round, their momentum abruptly stalled, and scorecards unfinished. With the playoff stakes high, Saturday’s early restart will see contenders return to a course that could play very differently after the storm. All eyes now turn to where Round 2 picks back up — and who can adapt fastest.

Where Round 2 left off on Friday

When play was halted on Friday, Tommy Fleetwood had already cemented his place at the top of the leaderboard with another blistering round at the St. Jude Championship. Fleetwood backed up his opening 63 with another jaw-dropping six-under 64 on the following round. The Englishman racked up seven birdies to reach 13-under for the tournament. Despite that, his scores saw a slight drop, with his only blemish coming with a bogey at the 18th. It’s a commanding four-shot cushion in Memphis, and a golden opportunity for the 34-year-old to capture that elusive first PGA Tour title finally. Hot on his heels sit Collin Morikawa and Akshay Bhatia at nine under. While Morikawa posted a flawless 65, Bhatia continued his consistent run with a 1-under 69.

Justin Rose also finds himself in the hunt at nine under. Though he still had two holes to play when the play was suspended. Just behind, Kurt Kitayama and Andrew Novak sit at eight under, while world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler lurks at seven under after a composed 66. Further down the board, Ludvig Åberg is at six under, Harry Hall at four under, and Robert MacIntyre at three under. Matt Fitzpatrick, enduring a frustrating round, sits at two under.

When play resumes on Saturday morning, the battle to chase down Fleetwood will resume. However, the course won’t be the same, making the conditions more challenging for the final rounds. Regardless, the playoffs will not disappoint, with a rivalry matched by no other. You can catch up on all the drama from the comfort of your home, especially with the worsening conditions at the course.