Feng leads in rain-delayed U.S. Women’s Open with 66
Shanshan Feng shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 and held a one-shot lead over Amy Yang on Thursday when the first round of the U.S. Women’s Open at a quiet Trump National Golf Club was suspended by darkness.
Despite complaints over playing the biggest event in women’s golf on a course owned by President Donald Trump, there were no apparent protests Thursday over his comments about women. The road outside the club was relatively trafficfree and those in attendance were there for the golf.
The only problem was the weather. Lightning delayed play for 2 hours, 5 minutes late in the afternoon and 30 players were still on the course when the horn sounded to stop play for the day at 8:33 p.m. Play was scheduled to resume at 7 a.m. Friday.
Lydia Ko played in the same threesome with Feng and finished at 68 along with top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, the only two-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour. Carlota Ciganda also was 4 under with a hole left.
Canada’s Brooke Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ont., finished with a two-under-par 70 score.
Feng started her round on the 10th hole and played the back side in 5 under, rolling in five birdies. The Chinese star added another at No. 1 and then parred her last eight holes. She won the major LPGA Championship in 2012 for the first of her seven LPGA Tour titles.
Yang has two seconds, a third and a fourth in the event in the last five years. The South Korean player had six birdies and a bogey. She took advantage of the back nine, playing it in 4 under.
Former Open winner Cristie Kerr and Megan Khang were the best U.S. finishers, tied at 69. Amateur Rachel Heck, the 15-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, who is the youngster player in the field, also was at 3 under with five holes to play. Third-ranked Lexi Thompson was at 71, along with Stacy Lewis.
Defending champion Brittany Lang had a 72 in a round where the players who teed off in the morning had the better conditions. Secondranked Ariya Jutanugarn shot 79.