Sam Burns has the lead entering the final round of the U.S. Open at Oakmont, but the weather may not cooperate as Western Pennsylvania looks to put a cherry on top of the PGA Tour's marquee stateside tournament. Rain has made an already-tough course borderline unplayable at times. That makes Burns score of -4 entering the final 18 holes all the more impressive, with Adam Scott and JJ Spaun right behind him at -3. Rain on Sunday could have a major impact on just how long this major tournament goes. With that in mind, what's the forecast for the Final Round and what happens if the world's best golfers cannot play?
Thankfully, there wasn't much rain overnight at Oakmont or in the Pittsburgh area, so the course and greens should be dry in the early morning hours as a result. Per an official press briefing, "patchy areas of fog early this morning could develop near Oakmont, however the models aren’t impressed, so if we see any visibility issues it would dissipate."
U.S. Open Final Round Weather Forecast
However, the real trouble starts in the early afternoon. There is a chance of thunderstorms starting around 1pm ET or 2pm ET local time, which is expected to have a medium impact on the course and pace of play. If there is lightning, the USGA may be forced to delay the round for a few hours or until Monday morning at worst. There is a 60 percent chance of rain starting in the early afternoon, which should tail off by Sunday night. That being said, there is even a 20 percent chance of storms on Monday morning, so we won't be completely out of the woods until Monday late morning.
Rain Delay rules at the U.S. Open and ticket policy
The USGA may opt to delay or suspend play at any time based on the weather or events surrounding the tournament. As for their ticket policy, the U.S. Open typically allows fans to attend the major tournament the following day when play resumes, especially if players are on the course for less than five hours in a single day. For example, when play was suspended on Friday into Saturday, the USGA honored those tickets and allowed patrons to attend on Saturday or receive a refund.
The USGA also covers all of this in its ticket policy, which does give them the right to cancel or move a tournament at any given time. "Ticket Holders acknowledge and agree that: (i) any and all decisions relating to a cancellation and/or postponement of a Championship and/or the revocation of a Ticket shall be made by the USGA in its sole discretion; and (ii) Ticket Holders shall adhere to such decisions," the USGA wrote.
What happens if play is suspended?
If play is suspended for any reason, the tournament will pick up where it left off the next available day. Thankfully for Oakmont Country Club and the USGA, the weather looks promising for Monday. If, for any reason, the Final Round cannot be completed due to rain and thunderstorms in the area on Sunday, they will likely restart Monday morning, when there is a lesser chance of rain.