Twin cities hoping to weather golfing storm

Charlie Mulqueen

Their preparation has been meticulous but there are two factors still beyond their control. The first and least important is the appalling traffic jams. Even though it's dual carriageway for the full 30 miles from hotel to the course, the journey is taking an hour, and sometimes, more to complete.

Of far greater concern is the threat of thunderstorms on both Saturday and Sunday. It was here in 1991 that, during the US Open, lightning killed one spectator and injured five others. Two months later, another was killed by a strike during the US PGA in Indianapolis.