Foul conditions test patience
Frustrations boiled over at times on a weather-ravaged day at the McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open, but organisers should escape punishment for a staccato finish which has spilled into today.
Auckland’s four-seasons-in-oneday climate can irritate, but what were the realistic alternatives?
If there was an error to scrutinise in hindsight, it was keeping patrons waiting until 4.50pm — after more than five hours of delays — before the players returned for approximately one hole each.
They could have canned the day around 4pm, knowing the weather radar was likely to serve up further trouble. The powderkeg of loose hoardings and angry players could have been mitigated alongside the promise of free spectator entry today.
Irrespective of that — and such decisions often require myriad consultations when a global sporting organisation such as the LPGA is involved — the tournament has suffered few glitches.
Hopefully one foul tempest, which had Brittany Lincicome and Belen Mozo bristling in the lead group, does not sully efforts to stage a tournament that has galvanised the local golfing community.
Lydia Ko also deserves credit. Even when Auckland’s two coasts conspired to produce doozy gusts at inopportune times, Ko channeled serenity, signing autographs and submitting to selfies at will.
However, with logistics like flights and accommodation difficult to change at the last minute, a number of caddies and volunteers will be absent when the denouement begins at 8.15am. The tournament will be challenged to maintain its structure under jury rig.
An upshot is that the crowd numbers and player satisfaction, at least after the first three rounds, was deemed a coup by the LPGA.
Sean Pyun, vice-president and managing director of LPGA Asia, said he was “blown away” by the patronage for the opening three rounds. That quote seems apt after yesterday’s meterological influences, but he was fair dinkum when he said it.
The LPGA hope the tournament becomes a regular fixture, preferably moving into a two-leg stint with the Australian Open in February to draw a stronger player contingent.