Mistakes are bound to happen. But when repeated shortcomings don’t teach you a lesson, that’s when they become a problem. That’s the situation that the PGA Tour’s Commissioner, Jay Monahan, has found himself in after repeatedly following the wrath of the weather gods.
Monahan’s Tour’s repeated failures to factor in the weather of the venue have led fans to expect every tournament weekend to get interrupted by the weather. And, truth be told, they are not wrong. A similar situation is predicted to take place at the John Deere Classic’s final round being conducted at the TPC Deere Run located in Silvis, Illinois, along the Rock River.
As per PGA Tour Communications, the Sunday forecast for Silvis showcases scattered showers and thunderstorms starting at 11 a.m., shortly after the initiation of the ultimate round. The best chances for said thunderstorms will be around 1 p.m., but they are not forecasted to reach severe levels. The highest chance of precipitation is capped at 50%. Knowing the chances of a weather-forced delay later in the day, the John Deere Classic’s final round has kicked off already.
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Monahan’s decision to tee off without considering the weather repercussions has led to an increased level of anger among his fans. While some fans questioned why an early start to the day was not made, others blamed the venue’s climate. But what was the fans’ final verdict on Jay Monahan’s decision?
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The golf world’s reaction proved one thing: fans are not happy with the way Jay Monahan is dealing with the weather situation. A curious fan expressed their failure to understand why remedial measures were not taken. They wrote, “So why exactly are we starting at 10 a.m.?” Thus, pointing out how the tee time started at 9:25 a.m. from Tee 1 with the featured group of Zach Johnson, Sam Stevens, and Robby Shelton, despite predicted inclement weather later in the day.
One of the fans turned on their analyst hat and perceptively wrote, “This weather shift changes everything. Birdies will go up, fairways hit will see a slight uptick (softness, less roll), and overall scoring should go down,” hinting at how the scorecard will go for a toss following the ignorance of high authorities regarding the weather in Illinois.
The PGA Tour’s ignorance did not go unnoticed. One of the fans expressed their annoyance at the authorities for not starting the event earlier, despite being fully aware of what was to come. They wrote, “So you had this knowledge and didn’t do double tees from 7-9 am? Nice,” sarcastically highlighting how Jay Monahan’s PGA Tour has once again succumbed to the wrath of the weather gods. This year, several events have faced delays, cancellations, and postponements because of the weather, for instance, AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM was cut short to 54 holes.
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Not everyone was entirely critical, however. One of the fans wrote, “Midwest summer,” hinting at Illinois’ unpredictable weather. The midwest has some of its wettest months, starting in May and going on until July. The Tour’s decision, coupled with the game’s history, to tee it up at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, thus becomes hard to understand for many fans.
It remains to be seen whether the weather will lead to a forthcoming cancellation or postponement for the John Deere Classic or if destiny will let Monahan’s dismissal of the weather reports go unnoticed. What do you think? Will Monahan be able to escape the weather god’s plans?