Dark clouds rolled over the Dunes Golf & Beach Club just as the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic was beginning to find its rhythm on Thursday. And with that, the $4 million event suddenly hit an unexpected roadblock.

The first round was suspended at 3:24 p.m. ET. The play will resume at 4:10 p.m. ET. This was expected, as weather forecasts were not that great for the event. Names like Brooks Koepka and Aaron Rai had already completed their rounds; others like Max Greyserman and Rasmus Højgaard will have to wait to finish their play.

As per the forecast shared earlier on Thursday, the rain probability was high throughout the day. It was 80% at 7 am and remained up to 60% until 5 pm. Lightning probability increased as the day went by, with the highest chances of 50% at 3 and 5 pm.

This is not a one-off situation. Suspended play because of bad weather is a common phenomenon across all golf tours. The other ongoing PGA Tour event, the $20 million Truist Championship, was also halted twice during the 1st round.

Due to the impending inclement weather in Thursday’s forecast, the tee times of the first two rounds at the Truist Championship 2026 were adjusted to approximately 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET. Despite that adjustment, play was delayed by an additional 30 minutes initially, and the first tee time was scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET. Then it was postponed for another hour and was resumed at 2:01 p.m. ET.

While it is still possible for professionals to play in some rain and high winds, the PGA Tour usually stops play in poor weather. This is not a random decision, as weather issues have harmed both professionals and spectators in the past.

For instance, the lightning during the 3rd round of the 2019 Tour Championship hit a pine tree. This resulted in debris that injured 6 spectators. A spectator also died after a lightning strike during the 1991 PGA Championship.

The Myrtle Beach Classic has regularly been a stop facing weather issues. Round 1 saw a suspension last year, too, due to lightning. The first tee was pushed to 8:30 a.m. ET amid a 70% precipitation chance. Round 2 also saw a delay of one hour, as tee times were pushed to 7:50 a.m. ET. The incident recurred in the final round, with a 45-minute delay to the start.

Rain affected the opening round in 2024 as well. However, no official delays were made, as the rain was light and golfers continued to play.

Before play was suspended, Brooks Koepka finished with a 3-under par 68, with a couple of bogeys on holes 3 and 14. He also made 5 birdies on holes 4, 5, 12, 13, and 18. He is playing this $4 million event instead of the Truist Championship, as he wasn’t qualified for the latter. However, he is not frustrated about not being able to play there.

Brooks Koepka on not getting to play PGA Tour Signature Events

Brooks Koepka had to let go of sponsor invitations to Signature Events when he was reinstated on the PGA Tour. Because of that, he was an alternate at the RBC Heritage and the Cadillac Championship. However, despite waiting for a long time, he did not get the chance.

When asked about the same at the Myrtle Beach Classic, he said that he is eager to get into those events. He acknowledged that he already knew this year was going to be tough. However, even being the first alternate is something he didn’t expect to happen so soon.

As for playing the event, “Just the answer to everything is play better, and you’re in,” he said.

His return to the PGA Tour has not been that smooth. He said that he is still adjusting to the PGA Tour courses. But as the adjustment period ends, and he finds his rhythm, he won’t have to rely on sponsor invitations or wait as an alternate.

He can rise in the FedEx Cup ranks and become eligible to play the $20 million limited-field events.

While Brooks Koepka continues working his way back into the PGA Tour’s biggest events, weather interruptions at Myrtle Beach added another layer of unpredictability. With solid form returning and FedEx Cup points on the line, Koepka remains focused on playing his way back into golf’s premier fields.

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