The European Order of Merit race looks to be down to three players after Miguel Angel Jimenez came a real cropper in the rain-hit Volvo Masters at Valderrama on Friday.
Needing to win the tournament to have a chance of the money list title, Jimenez - who let it be known to officials he did not think he should be on the course given the conditions - dropped seven strokes in four holes before play was called off for the day.
With no placing and cleaning of the ball allowed - chief referee John Paramor regretted that in hindsight - the 44-year-old bogeyed the first and third, double-bogeyed the second and then ran up a triple bogey eight.
Weather permitting, he will resume the second round on Saturday on nine over par, 15 adrift of leader Soren Kjeldsen, who was one of 10 players who did not even get to tee off.
Only three of the 57-strong field completed 36 holes and with more downpours and thunderstorms in the weekend forecast there is a chance the Order of Merit will be decided over three rather than four rounds. Possibly even two.
Current number one Robert Karlsson saw Jimenez's collapse for himself and, by dropping only from two over to three over himself, remains favourite for the Harry Vardon Trophy.
Nearest challenger Padraig Harrington, who requires a top-two finish, stands five over after 13 holes, but Lee Westwood, who has to win, was another who did not hit a ball all day and in joint fifth place on one under remains a danger to the Swede.
As for Justin Rose - defending champion both of the event and the money list - he was first out on his own again and failed to break 80 for the second day running.
That has never happened to him in his professional career either in Europe or America. Not even when he was missing his first 21 halfway cuts.
With no cut the 28-year-old, who was on 19 over and last by six after adding an 81 to his opening 80, vowed to "soldier on" over the weekend, but then was told his grandfather had died overnight.
He withdrew and instantly made plans to fly to South Africa.
European Tour rules do allow for holes played to be scrubbed out and rounds re-started - that certainly would have suited Jimenez - but Paramor stated that was not even considered because four hours' play had been possible.
Tournament director David Garland said: "Miguel Angel did come in and voice his concerns.
"He thought everybody should be playing in the same conditions at the same time and that play should never have started this morning.
"I would say that the course was playable this morning. Conditions were brutal, this is a very, very difficult course and it's not designed to be played in a 25mph wind and lashing rain.
"We had a forecast of the rain to pass through in three hours, but as soon as the front hit us it seemed to slow down and there was a lot more rain.
"It's not a clear run yet, but I'm hopeful of us still playing 72 holes. But 54 is a definite possibility and 36 is the least amount of holes for a tournament to count.
"It's obviously in the lap of the Gods. It's unlikely we will schedule a full round for Monday, but we will finish a round then if necessary."
Paramor added: "Now I wish we had gone to preferred lies because we will be completing round two without them. But there was really no reason to suspect we would need them."
One big decision to be taken if the event is cut to two rounds is whether the prize money would be cut. It could, of course, decide the Order of Merit.
With a three-stroke lead over Sergio Garcia, Kjeldsen, of course, is in an even stronger position if he does not have to play three more rounds.
But the Dane, who lost a play-off to Rose last year, commented: "Leading or lying last, this is a disappointment.
"It's the last Volvo Masters and we wanted a nice tournament."
Jimenez said: "It got worse and worse and it was unfair because who knows what conditions are going to be like tomorrow?
"I think maybe the decision (to suspend play) should have been taken before. The ball was picking up mud."
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