CHASKA, Minn., Aug. 17 (UPI) -- After 12 hours of rain and a lightning-filled storm that was severe even for a Minnesota summer, the second round at the PGA Championship was completed Saturday before the third round began.
With wind whipping off the prairie, Fred Funk and Tiger Woods made remarkable birdies Saturday morning as the final major of the season finally hit the halfway point.
Funk and Woods were two of 41 players forced to return to Hazeltine National Golf Club early Saturday after a vicious storm rolled through the Twin Cities area, suspending play for the second straight day.
Expected to be dominated by winds gusting up to 35 miles an hour, the third round was scheduled to get under way at 12:30 p.m. EDT with groups of three going off on two tees.
Although he bogeyed two of his final five holes to drop into a five-way tie for the lead, Funk woke up the early-morning crowd with a 60-foot chip-in at the par-5 seventh.
One of the shortest hitters on tour, Funk was in the thick rough just shy of the green after his third shot when he swished his fourth for a birdie.
The chip got Funk - a 14-year veteran who never has competed this late in a major - into a tie for the lead with Retief Goosen of South Africa, Justin Leonard, Mark Calcavecchia and Rich Beem at 6-under 138.
Woods is tied for sixth at 4-under 140 after playing the final two holes of his second round in 1-under, including a birdie at the 17th hole.
Woods was faced with a downhill, sidehill lie - in a fairway bunker, behind trees, some 211 yards away - when he sliced his approach through the wind to within 15 feet of the hole. Woods made the birdie putt to close a two-day, 3-under 69.
Tied with Woods is Pierre Fulke of Sweden. They are a stroke better than first-round co-leader Jim Furyk, Charles Howell III, Kenny Perry and Chris Riley.
Only 22 players were under par, including two-time Masters winner Bernhard Langer of Germany at 142 and three-time major champion Ernie Els of South Africa at 143.
Rain, totaling 3 1/2 inches in some places, fell from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Portions of the course were under water Saturday morning, including parts of the eighth hole and half of the practice range.
In addition to torrential rain, the storm brought waves of lightning and heavy winds that tore down trees, blew out windows and reportedly swept the roof off at least one house in the area.
While the weather was supposed to improve as the third round progresses, wind gusts - resulting in wind chills in the low 50s - are expected to wreak havoc with the field.
