Round 1: Viking Classic

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Oct. 29, 2009
By PGATOUR.com Staff

WEATHER UPDATE (11:05 a.m. ET): The first round has been delayed until Friday. The first groups are scheduled to tee off at 7:20 a.m. ET.

WEATHER UPDATE (10:00 a.m. ET): The first round has been delayed by three hours. The first tee time is now scheduled for 11:20 a.m. ET.

WEATHER DELAY (8:40 a.m. ET): The first round of the Viking Classic has been delayed two hours due to weather. Round one was due to begin at 7:20 a.m. CT, but overnight rain forced PGA TOUR Rules Officials to delay the first tee time. Play is now scheduled to begin at 10:20 a.m. ET.

The first groups are about to tee off in Round 1 of the Viking Classic. Here's how it sets up:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
9:30 a.m. ET, Hole No. 1		David Duval, John Mallinger, Matt Jones Duval's weekend as the "Bubble Boy" begins. Can he fend off those who are gunning for his spot at No. 125?
2:05 p.m. ET, Hole No. 10		Rickie Fowler, Tommy Gainey, Jarrod Lyle The 20-year-old Fowler can continue his magical run on TOUR with a third straight top-10 finish this weekend.
1:15 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1		David Toms, Charles Howell III, Brandt Snedeker One of the most talented groups at Annandale, all three are among the top-10 earners of '09 in this field.

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR on-site correspondent Larry Rinker previews Thursday's round:

Thursday's forecast

Thunderstorms
Temp: 80 high/68 low
Scattered thunderstorms likely. Winds from the southeast at 10-20 mph.

With only two weeks left for official money on the PGA TOUR, many players need to make money to avoid going to the PGA TOUR National Qualifying Tournament. David Duval is the "Bubble Boy" and sits at No. 125 on the money list. Duval said that he is playing well, but just not scoring. He's hitting over 70 percent of his fairways and greens, just like when he was the top-ranked player in the world, but not getting the ball in the hole. His father, Bob Duval, is out this week supporting his son and giving advice when needed. David said that he wants to focus on trying to win the tournament instead of just making enough money to make the top 125. David tees off at 9:30 a.m. ET on No. 1 with John Mallinger and Matt Jones.

Coming off a tie for seventh and a tie for second, Rickie Fowler is one player to watch in the afternoon wave. Rickie won $547,700 to earn special temporary member status for 2009 and is playing in the Viking Classic instead of first stage of q-school. He currently has enough money to sit at No. 135 on the money list. With another strong finish he will be the first player to qualify for the PGA TOUR without going to q-school since Ryan Moore. The only other players to do it since 1980 are Gary Hallberg, Phil Mickelson, Justin Leonard and Tiger Woods. Rickie has an incredible short game that was developed back at home in California hanging out with one of the local pros when he was a kid. Rickie tees off at 2:05 p.m. ET on No. 10 with Tommy "Two Gloves" Gainey and Jarrod Lyle.

The weather forecast does not look good for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. An 80 percent chance of rain and a high of 79 on Thursday. Friday is not much better with a 50 percent chance of rain and a high of 77 as a winter storm comes down from the northwest. Saturday's forecast calls for a high of 56 with a 70 percent chance of rain. The cold front moves through on Sunday, but let's hope this storm doesn't drop too much rain. They have already had over 20 inches of rain in the last two weeks and the course is pretty saturated. They will probably play lift, clean and place all week long.

Stat of the Day

John Daly, who makes his home right up the road in Memphis, returns to action this week. Daly has played this event in each of the last two years, making the cut each time but without a finish higher than a tie for 40th. Daly is looking for his first top-25 finish since the 2007 Buick Open.

The Film Room

	Preview: 2009 Viking Classic The PGA TOUR Fall Series heads to Madison, Miss. for the 2009 Viking Classic as players push to earn their card for the 2010 PGA TOUR season. Watch it
	Memorable Moments: Viking Classic Through the years the Viking Classic has showcased some great champions and memorable moments, including Steve Lowery's record win in 2000, Fred Funk's course record-tying win in 2004 and Will MacKenzie's three-way playoff victory in 2008. Watch it
	PGA TOUR Today: October 28, 2009 Win McMurry previews the 2009 Viking Classic where Will MacKenzie looks to defend his title and players look to earn enough money to keep their playing privileges for the 2010 PGA TOUR season. Watch it