Irene has PGA Tour scrambling

EDISON, N.J.--Whenever the first leg in the PGA Tour playoffs does finish -- and that is an enormous open question -- there is a chance that the winner might not see his name on the scoreboard when he walks up No. 18. The scoreboards will be taken down Saturday as a precaution in a clear sign that for one week, the biggest name in golf is Irene.

The hurricane's expected slash into the Northeast this weekend has put The Barclays under a massive cloud. PGA Tour tournament director Slugger White said during the rain-delayed first round Thursday that there is no telling when the tournament will end and added that there is a possibility that it could be halted after 54 holes.

He did say that crews will be removing mesh from towers "so the wind will get through them" and that scoreboards and other structures probably will be dismantled. "We don't want those projectiles out there," he said at Plainfield Country Club. "We don't need one of them landing in somebody's yard."

Beyond the obvious concern for everyone's safety, there is the matter of whether the course can be playable, following 13 inches of rain last week and a 3 hour, 16 minute delay yesterday. "If we get five or seven inches of rain here," White said, "we are probably dead in the water."

So golfers are prepared to be here through Tuesday, while there also is a possibility that no golf will be played after Saturday. "There is the scenario out there," White said, when he was asked if The Barclays could be reduced to three rounds instead of the scheduled four.

Harrison Frazar, who completed a 7-under-par 64 with players still on the course, said: "You know, you've got to worry about everything from downed trees out on the streets around here, and power [outages]. You've got to worry about the grandstands and the luxury boxes on 18, I think they want to get those out of here.

"Nobody wants to see something bad happen here," Frazar said, "So we are going to try to keep that in perspective but we are also going to do our best to play the best tournament we can."

There had been speculation that, after the 36-hole cut Friday, the remaining field could play 36 in advance of the storm. But White said there isn't enough daylight.

Tour regulations allow a tournament to extend to Tuesday only "if we got half the field finished on Monday," White said. Commissioner Tim Finchem could, however, override that and allow a full round on Tuesday if the course were unplayable Monday. That might be worthwhile, given that Barclays is a big sponsor and that the remainder of the four-week playoffs depends on what happens this week.

"It's a big predicament because there's a lot on the line," said Jonathan Byrd, who tied with Vijay Singh for second at 6 under.

"I played in L.A. the year we got only two rounds in. And I played the Viking my rookie year, where it got shortened to 54, and I was in the second to last group with a chance to win. This is my 10th year out here and I've seen it happen."

This week might be completely different, though.

White, remarking about the unusual conditions in the area with an earthquake and now a hurricane, said: "And they're having both in the same week. Welcome to New Jersey."