Tiger Woods had a one-liner ready when asked about the weather forecast that includes the possibility of snow at the Match Play Championship, saying: ''We won't be able to work on our suntans.''
Play was set to open Wednesday at Dove Mountain with temperatures in the low 40s and a high of 47. Strong wind was expected in the afternoon with showers that could change from rain to snow on the cactus-lined High Sonoran Desert course.
Two years ago, morning snow covered the course before Luke Donald beat Martin Kaymer in the championship match. There also was a 10-minute delay when sleet coated the fourth fairway.
''When bad weather is expected, the thing that gives me a gleam in my eyes is when I hear people worry about it, complaining about it,'' Donald said Tuesday. I think, as a player, the best approach is to try and embrace it.''
Defending champion Hunter Mahan is taking the same approach.
''I don't think it affects anyone any differently, unless you think it does,'' Mahan said. ''If you don't like the cold and you don't want to be out there, then it's going to affect you. . . . There's not going to be a lucky set of tee times here this week. You're just trying to beat the guy in front of you.''
Conditions are expected to be better for the final four days of the World Golf Championships event, though frost delays are likely Thursday, Friday and Saturday with overnight lows in the low-30s. A high of 55 is forecast for Thursday, with the expected temperatures going up to 58 on Friday, 62 on Saturday and 61 on Sunday.
''I think we'll have to see what the weather is doing in the morning and see if we're actually going to go and play,'' said Ian Poulter, the 2010 winner. ''It's supposed to be pretty ugly. It was ugly in Hawaii, which was my last event, and that was blowing 50. . . . If it's as cold as they're saying, the ball isn't going to travel very far, so you have to be aware that you need to dial into the yardage pretty quickly.''
