Sunday September 16, 2012

Severe winds and heavy rain put paid to British Open second round

HOYLAKE (England): Severe winds wiped out the second round of the Women’s British Open at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on Friday, but organisers insisted they were determined to finish the event by Sunday.

Play started at 7am local time in the final major of the season but was stopped at 8.18am as winds reached gusts of 60mph and balls moved on several greens.

At 11am it was decided, in accordance with Rule 33-2d, that the early day’s play should be declared null and void. Three hours later it was decided to suspend play for the day.

In order to try and get play finished by Sunday, the cut has been reduced from the top 65 and ties to the top 50 and ties. The top 65 and ties will all receive prize money.

Where’s my ball: American Cristie Kerr (right) speak to an official on the 12th green after her ball moved due to high winds and Erina Hara of Japan (centre) looks on in the second round of the Women’s British Open at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. Play was suspended due to high winds and rain. — AF

Rounds three and four will take place on Sunday with a two-tee start and no redraw after the third round.

South Korea’s Ryu So-Yeon, joint overnight leader on two under par, was one of the early starters on Friday and she had played one hole, taking a bogey six at the long 10th, her first hole.

But the rule decision meant she is now back tied at the top with another South Korean, Haeji Kang.

England’s Felicity Johnson started with a quintuple-bogey 9, and her playing partner, Germany’s Caroline Masson, double-bogeyed her first three holes.

American star Cristie Kerr saw her ball blown off the tee three times at the 12th,.

Co-leader So Yeon Ru of South Korea bogeyed her only hole, the 10th, before play was suspended.

Michelle Wie of the United States was out in the second group at 7.10am and managed to play three holes before the suspension.

“It’s been a long day,” said the American Solheim Cup player, who finished third in the Women’s British Open as a 15-year-old in 2005.

“When I arrived at the course at 5am it was raining sideways. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It was fairly sheltered by the tents when we set off but by the time we got to the 12th it was clearly unplayable,” added Wie, who started her round at the 10th.

“The ball would barely stay on the tee and they were moving all over the greens.

When you have to call a rules official six times on a green then you know it’s bad.

“I’m so tall I felt like a flagpole. I thought I might fall over when I tried to hit the ball and it was definitely the right call.”

Susan Simpson, the Ladies’ Golf Union’s Head of Operations, defended the decision to start play in the morning.

“The course was playable when we started but then the wind rose and play was not possible on the holes close to the sea,” she said. — AFP

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Sunday September 16, 2012

Severe winds and heavy rain put paid to British Open second round