"Unplayable Lie - A PK Frazier Novel

My new book, "Unplayable Lie - A PK Frazier Novel" is the fourth installment of the wildly popular series and is now available in print and in e-formats at PK Frazier Follow me on twitter @kevinkrest.

Saturday, June 2, 2018

MOTHER NATURE MAKES A COMEBACK AT THE 73RD U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN


Shoal Creek, Alabama: Mother Nature decided the match wasn’t quite over, making another run at the U.S. Women’s Open Friday afternoon. Play was suspended at 2:27 p.m., just before the final groups of the afternoon wave teed off, because of dangerous weather conditions, primarily due to lightning in the area. Three hours and 49 minutes later at 6:16 p.m., with darkness looming, players returned to the course and made it to 7:20 p.m. before play was suspended once again due to weather. With sunset  at 7:50 p.m., it was doubtful, given the cloudy conditions, that the players would have
had enough light to play much longer. There was little or no rain that fell during the initial suspension, so officials had hoped to begin play at Saturday at 6:45 a.m. with 78 players still on the course. This is where Mother Nature decided to try to even the match, dumping just short of an inch of rain on the course overnight and delaying the start of play until 7:45 a.m.

Despite the weather delays, there were some highlights of round two. First round co-leader Sarah Jane Smith of Australia birdied six holes in an 11 hole stretch to get to 11-under par and take a six-shot lead on Ariya Jutanugarn, who was in the afternoon wave. Smith eventually cooled off, playing her final six holes in one-over par to finish at 10 under par for the tournament, the same total she was able to post for the back nine. “I think the side sets up nice for a fade and there’s been a few pins tucked on the right side of greens and that’s made it a little easier for me to get at them, I think,” the leader remarked after her round. Smith’s caddie also happens to be her husband. “We’re experienced together. He knows me better than anyone on the course and off, probably. So I think it’s just a comfort level that comes with that.” Smith has been on tour since 2006 and has yet to record a victory. Her best finish in a major were a pair of ties for second at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2010 and 2017. This is her seventh U.S. Women’s Open and she’s only made one cut, when she finished in a tie for 46th in 2013. Her 2018 season has been disappointing, with six made cuts in 13 tournaments and a highest finish of just a tie for 26th at the Kia Classic. To categorize her hot start as a surprise would be a vast understatement.

Ariya Jutanugarn’s presence on the leaderboard is no surprise, as she’s coming off a victory at Kingsmill, her eighth win on the LPGA Tour, including a major title in the 2017 RICOH Women’s British Open. Her record in the U.S. Women’s Open isn’t nearly as impressive, with only one made cut in five appearances. Jutanugarn birdied her first hole and stood at six-under when play was halted Friday evening, putting her in a tie with Su-Hyun Oh, another Australian who completed play in the early groups. No one else was better than three-under par for the tournament, with only Jutanugarn among the late starters in the top ten.

In other news, there was a somewhat premature announcement that Brittany Lincicome will be competing in the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship, July 19 - 22 in Lexington, Kentucky. Lincicome will be playing on a sponsor’s exemption in the event held opposite The Open Championship. “I love competing with the guys. I feel like I step up my game when I play with them. I always thought it would be cool to try,” the two-time major champion commented following her round on Friday. “I just got a text from my agent. We weren’t going to announce it until Monday, so I don’t think anyone knows.” Well, that all changed in a big way following  her quick appearance before the press. The seven time winner on the LPGA tour will join Annika Sorrenstam and Michele Wie as the only women to play in a PGA Tour event.   

Don't forget to check out my new book, "Offsetting Penalties - A PK Frazier Novel" at  Amazon.com. Also check out www.thechtonsports.com for our podcasts and live broadcast on Tuesday's at 8:30 pm EST. I can also be reached via email at kevin@pkfrazier.com.




         

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