Fry's Electronics Open round three: The weatherman's flag of inconvenience

Sunday is red flag day in lower Arizona, and that looks like being bad news for our merry band of golfers. It’s the way the National Weather Service warns that it’s going to be a trying day - high winds, low humidity, big fire risk. Actually, I fear the reverse effect at Scottsdale, with the wind putting a dampener on the aspirations of a number of Sunday’s challengers.

The forecasts suggest Scottsdale will escape the worst of the weather, but life could be tricky enough, especially as the afternoon progresses. Leader Carl Pettersson summed it up best: “If it blows 30 … everything goes out the window.”

Not only are the gusty conditions likely to play fast and loose with general shotmaking, but they will toughen the challenge on firm greens that already have a chorus of golfers singing of the difficulties of reading the grain. So the day is likely to require a large dose of concentration, a huge dollop of patience and more than a modicum of luck. So yes, even Ryan Moore can still fancy his chances, despite Saturday’s shocker.

The wind apart, Pettersson, now bogey-free in 33 holes, looks a hard act to beat after producing a much tidier performance off the tee Saturday. Mike Weir was more wayward from tee to green, but is clearly still on a roll from beating Tiger Woods. And a much rejuvenated Justin Leonard surely fancies his back-to-back victory chances.

Of the top contenders Mark Hensby and Jarrod Lyle are flashing the most dangerous putters, while Pettersson, Weir and Moore take the honours in hitting greens. But all round Moore still has by far the best profile. Whether that will count for anything in Sunday’s tricky conditions, though, is anyone’s guess.

We could be in for a day of widely fluctuating prices, which normally spells trading heaven. But beware: up to now at least the market has not been particularly fluid, so you can’t always get out of situations as easily as you might normally have hoped.