2022 BMW PGA Championship to resume Saturday following Queen Elizabeth II’s death, shortened to 54 holes

After halting play Thursday following Queen Elizabeth II’s demise, the DP World Tour has determined to transfer ahead with the rest of the 2022 BMW PGA Championship. Play will resume Saturday at 6:40 a.m. native time in Surrey, England,  (1:40 a.m. ET) with a number of teams nonetheless needing to end their first rounds. 

“The second round of the BMW PGA Championship will resume at 6:40 a.m. on Saturday morning and all original second round tee times will remain the same,” the DP World Tour launched in a press release. “Those players who are yet to complete their first round will do so from 7:30 a.m. onwards from the place on the golf course where they stopped on Thursday afternoon.”

The event, the largest on the DP World Tour, can be minimize down to 54 holes in lieu of the usual 72 holes.  

“The Rolex Series event will now be contested over 54 holes with the intention to finish on Sunday as scheduled,” the assertion stated. “It is not possible to play the full 72 holes and finish on Monday as we cannot guarantee the staff, facilities or security of the venue on Monday due to the on-going plans for the state funeral. Across the weekend at Wentworth, black ribbons will be made available for people to wear and flags will continue to fly at half-mast.”

This means the opening rounds of 8-under 64 courtesy of Englishmen Andy Sullivan and Tommy Fleetwood and Norwegian Viktor Hovland maintain much more weight because the trio possessed the co-lead on the conclusion of play on Thursday. With solely 36 holes to play, the duty to chase down these on the prime of the leaderboard turns into all of the harder for pursuers.

There was no point out of a change to the minimize within the DP World Tour’s assertion, so it needs to be protected to assume it can happen following the preliminary 36 holes. With Rory McIlroy and defending champion Billy Horschel 4 strokes off the tempo, and Matt Fitzpatrick and Jon Rahm even farther again, flawless golf will want to be performed over the weekend if they’re to increase the largest trophy on the DP World Tour.