AR
With 3¼ inches more of rain falling overnight on an already water-logged course at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Ark., LPGA officials waved the white flag Sunday morning, announcing that the remainder of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship had been cancelled.
Only one round of the originally scheduled three-round 54-hole event had been finished, with just eight groups completing at least one hole of their second round when play was called mid-afternoon on Saturday due to dangerous weather. With that, the LPGA said in a statement that only a player’s 18-hole scores would count in what will be considered an unofficial event.
“After having assessed the golf course and consulted with our meteorologist and superintendent, the golf course is unplayable,” the LPGA said in a statement Sunday morning. “Based on the weather forecast for the remainder of today and all-day Monday and Tuesday, it is highly unlikely that 36 holes could be completed to make it an official event.”
The LPGA went on to say that no points will be awarded toward the Race to the CME Globe Tour Championship but that the tournament would distribute prize money stipulated in the event of a tournament cancellation. In addition, tournament sponsors Walmart and P&G also committed to paying every professional in the field something regardless of where they stood after 18 holes.
Alison Lee, who returned to competition earlier this month after having a baby in April, was able to play three holes of the second round at one under and had an eight-under total after shooting 64 in the first round. That tied her with first-round co-leaders Sarah Schmelzel and Minami Katsu, who opened with 63s, but had yet to tee off. Technically, Schmelzel and Katsu finish the rain-shortened as co-champions, although they won’t receive an official win for their efforts.
According to an LPGA media official, the last tournament shortened to 36 holes because of weather was the 2018 Volunteers of America LPGA Texas Classic. Sung Hyun Park won after chipping in three times over the two rounds.
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time this tournament had been reduced to an unofficial 18-hole affair due to bad weather. In its first year as LPGA event in 2007, the same circumstances happened, with Stacy Lewis, then a senior at Arkansas, “winning” the event with a seven-under 65.
Ironically, Lewis announced earlier this week that she was retiring from the LPGA Tour at season’s end.
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Main Image: Orlando Ramirez
