CARLSBAD, Calif., Feb. 23 (UPI) -- With improving weather finally in the forecast, the WGC Match Play Championship will begin a day late Thursday.
The event will draw the best field of the year with 64 of the top 65 ranked players in the world competing in a tournament that will see the eventual finalists playing seven rounds in four days.
The persistent and deadly storms that have plagued California left the La Costa Resort & Spa course unplayable early in the week and the start of the tourney was postponed for 24 hours.
But Davis Love III and Chris Riley are scheduled to tee off in the first match at 7:25 a.m. local time.
World No. 1 Vijay Singh will face Shingo Katamaya in the first round while Tiger Woods will meet Nick Price and Phil Mickelson will play Loren Roberts.
Other top attractions will find John Daly playing Justin Leonard and Adam Scott, winner of the rain-shortened Nissan Open last week, meeting Trevor Immelman.
The second and third rounds will be played Friday with the quarterfinals and semifinals set for Saturday. Sunday's championship match will be over 36 holes.
This was the only PGA Tour event Woods captured in 2004.
