HEAVY RAIN HAS again stopped play at the Ryder Cup in Celtic Manor again today.

The South Wales venue became waterlogged this morning following overnight rain, and spectators weren’t allowed on the course due to safety risks.

Play was due to begin this morning at 7.45 this morning, but is now scheduled to start at 1.30 this afternoon. Organisers plan to start the twelve singles matches tomorrow morning at 9 am, but a cut-off time of 6.43 tomorrow evening has been imposed. If matches are not finished by that cut-off point, they are deemed halved.

Corey Pavin and Colin Montgomerie must name their line-ups for tomorrow’s singles matches an hour after play finishes today. The US team lead 6-4 overall, but  a late comeback yesterday means Europe are up in all six matches.

Ticket-holders for today’s play will be able to go to Monday’s matches, but no new tickets are to be made available.  In a press release issued today, Ryder Cup Europe said that the rescheduled singles event will not be accessible to anyone without tickets for Sunday’s matches.

“Ryder Cup Europe advises that only spectators with tickets valid for Sunday, October 3 will be admitted to Celtic Manor Resort on Monday, October 4 when the final series of singles is scheduled to start at 0905 on the Twenty Ten Course, Ryder Cup Europe further advises that the general public will not be able to purchase tickets for play on Monday, October 4. As was the case during the scheduled days of the 2010 Ryder Cup, there will be no access to any area of the Celtic Manor Resort for the general public who do not possess valid tickets for the match.”

Rain has also hit Wales’ international rugby league match with Italy, which was due to be played today in Wrexham but has been called off.