McAllister: Who'll survive on a double-header day?

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The fans at Bellerive will enjoy a double dose of action on Saturday, even if not all the players are looking forward to it. (Badz/PGA TOUR)

ST. LOUIS -- Thirty-six holes loom on Saturday. Thirty-six holes on a golf course that measures nearly 7,400 yards and will be even longer if the wet conditions make your feet heavy on the zoysia fairways and slow you down. Thirty-six holes in a pressure-packed situation of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup. It won't be a Saturday stroll.

As a result, some players at the BMW Championship will bring an extra shirt, perhaps an extra pair of socks when they show up bright and early in the morning. Others will make sure they carry extra snacks. You can bet almost everyone will get extra sleep Friday night.

But what about an extra caddie?

"It's going to be a tough walk for the caddies," Ernie Els said. "We'll be fine, but it's a long walk for those guys."

It's going to be a long day for everybody when the second round at Bellerive cranks up at 7 a.m. Saturday. Because of the rain that wiped out Thursday's play and pushed the first round to Friday, tournament officials decided to play 36 holes on Saturday in order to get back on schedule.

Veteran Jay Williamson is expecting an "Advil weekend." (Badz/PGA TOUR)

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Since the BMW Championship field consists of just 69 players, it won't be as long a day had it been the first two rounds of a regular TOUR event, with 144 players trying to cram 36 holes into a single day. Unless it rains -- and the forecast indicates that it won't -- then the players shouldn't have to race to squeeze in their final putts before the last ray of sunlight disappears.

But it's still nine hours or so on the course for each player, the first time since the 2005 INTERNATIONAL that the field is scheduled to play two full rounds in one day. Those kinds of days tend to favor the fittest guys. And the fittest guys are usually the youngest guys.

"It's definitely a young man's game tomorrow," said Kenny Perry, who at 48 years old is the second-oldest player in the field behind Tommy Armour III, who turns 49 next month.

Added Perry: "I'm not looking forward to 36 tomorrow."

So who is?

"I am," said 26-year-old tournament leader Camilo Villegas. Of course, Villegas is looking forward to every round he has scheduled, considering how well he's playing at the moment. He'll enter the 36-hole marathon with a one-stroke lead after shooting a 5-under 65 on Friday.

Sergio Garcia also doesn't mind performing double-duty on Saturday. After all, he's used to it, having played 35 holes on Sunday at Oakland Hills just last month and coming close to winning his first major before Padraig Harrington overtook him down the stretch at the PGA Championship.

"Obviously, yeah, the fitter you are, the more it's going to help you on a long day like we're going to have (Saturday)," said the 28-year-old Garcia.

But don't expect the day to be owned by the players who have minimal body fat. In truth, the key will be to maintaining a consistent pace, of finding a rhythm to the day that leads to optimal performance. Just like with every day on the course, it will be about tempo. The difficulty will be maintaining tempo for 36 holes as opposed to 18.

"You just got to get ready for it," said Tim Herron, who enter the second round tied for second, just one stroke off Villegas' lead. "You've got to know it's a long day. It's not a track meet. You've got to pace yourself."

Added Steve Stricker, who is in the pack with Perry, Herron, Andres Romero and Stuart Appleby at 4 under: "Maybe (you) walk a little slower, take little shortcuts, maybe not go up the steep hill, all the little stuff."

At the end of the day, though, it's 36 holes. It will be draining. It will require the mental fortitude to maintain your composure, and the physical stamina to not get out of rhythm.

And once the players finish and finally leave for the night to recharge for Sunday's final round, it will require one other thing.

Over-the-counter drugs.

"Basically," said local hero Jay Williamson, "it will be an Advil weekend."