Scott finally wins delayed Nissan Open

The most disrupted US Tour event in nearly a decade finally had a winner today - 24-year-old Australian Adam Scott.

After more torrential overnight rain quickly ruled out any hope of completing even the third round of the Nissan Open in Los Angeles 36-hole leaders Scott and American Chad Campbell were told to prepare themselves for a sudden death – or, more appropriately, a sink or swim – play-off commencing at 9.30am.

The difference between winning and losing was an amazing $345,600 (€264,000) and when the pair went to the 475-yard 18th Campbell, who had hit a shot even on the practice range all weekend, missed a four-foot putt for a bogey five.

So Scott, who had birdied the last hole of his second round to force the shoot-out, collected $864,000 (€661,000) and moved to a best-ever seventh in the world.

“It was tough for Chad to have two days off and then come out, but a win is a win,” said Scott.

The cancellation of the third round meant bitter disappointment for Darren Clarke and Brian Davis, who were lying joint third only a stroke behind, and for Colin Montgomerie, whose second round 64 (his lowest-ever score in America) had left him two shots back in fifth.

The tournament started hitting problems on Friday when it suffered a four-hour delay. Saturday’s play was then totally washed out and after a further two-hour hold-up on Sunday morning it was not until 2.30pm that the second round was completed.

Fifteen minutes later the third round began, but it did so under another deluge and was called off for the day only half an hour later. The leaders had not gone back on the course by then.

The last 36-hole event on the circuit was the 1996 Buick Challenge and only once before in a history going back to 1926 had the Los Angeles Open not been decided over 72 holes.

The whole of southern California has been receiving a battering from the weather, though, and Wednesday’s start to the Match Play could be affected. The course was closed today, but conditions are expected to improve later in the week.

There was some good and bad news for Clarke, Davis and Montgomerie. The good was that they were still paid full money for their rain-abbreviated week.

It also counts towards the US money list, but the downside was that they will get only 75% of the world ranking points on offer.

That is of prime importance to Montgomerie in his quest to qualify for the first two majors of the seasons. He slipped to 81st last year, but is back to 62nd now and needs top 50.

His next event is next week’s Dubai Desert Classic – that, at least, should not have any rain delays – whereas Clarke goes looking for a repeat of his 2000 Match Play victory and Davis, winner of the US Tour qualifying school in December, moves on to the Chrysler Classic in Tucson starting on Thursday.

Clarke opens against fellow Irishman Graeme McDowell on Wednesday. Weather permitting, that is.