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.
No comments:
Post a Comment