PITTSBURGH — Like Sisyphus with his boulder, Oakmont grounds crew members squeegeed water off the fairway on Hole 8 as the rain kept falling on Oakmont Country Club.

Only two more players needed to tackle the longest par 3 in U.S. Open history after a 96-minute weather delay in the final round Sunday afternoon — the last pairing of Sam Burns and Adam Scott.

None of the crew members used an umbrella. Some didn’t even have rain jackets on. One worker said he spent the night in the grounds crew shop and woke up at 3:30 a.m. Sunday. But when duty called around 4 p.m. in the form of torrential downpours and a delay, the U.S. Open grounds crew answered.

Oakmont superintendent Michael McCormick’s team of about 200 employees and volunteers ventured out to holes 8 through 18, the only ones where players remained, in a light but steady rain to prepare the course for more major championship golf.

As grounds crew members worked on No. 8, McCormick’s voice came over the radio, instructing teams around the property on what still needed work. Cade Hougland and another worker repeatedly rolled their giant squeegees on the fairway. More grounds crew members did the same on the green. Others raked the bunkers meticulously.

Neither Burns nor Scott hit anywhere close to where Hougland had been working after play resumed at 5:37 p.m., but the diligent squeegeeing wasn’t just about Sunday. When the sun shines on spots of heavy moisture left on the fairway, it can essentially boil the grass in a process called “wet wilt.”

The fairway on No. 10, a downhill par 4, appeared even wetter than Hole 8 during the delay. Six grounds crew members simultaneously squeegeed the landing area about 20 minutes before play resumed. A few minutes later, Burns’ drive landed near that area. With the ground under his ball apparently fairly dry, he hit his approach to within 10 feet of the hole.

Burns made that putt to reach 2-under and take a two-shot lead.

On Hole 11, however, Burns found the rough twice and double-bogeyed.

When the USGA announced the weather delay that began at 4:01 p.m., they posted a video on social media of the 14th green looking like a lake.

About 90 minutes later, it had transformed into a dry putting surface again thanks to the work of grounds crew members and Oakmont’s world-class drainage systems.

They have to be world-class to maintain a golf course in the notorious Western Pennsylvania weather. Within about half an hour of the resumption of play, rain was already pouring down again. The tournament continued with the leaders on the back nine.

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