Henderson, Wie stake major claim at Women’s PGA

with a chance to grab the outright lead when play was suspended at 7:01 p.m. because of dangerous weather in the area.

Brittany Altomare shot a 67, and Joanna Klatten also was 4 under with two holes left.

Joining Henderson and Wie at 68 were Alison Lee and Su Oh. Kim Kaufman and Emily Pedersen also were 3 under late in their rounds.

“I was able to carry a couple of fairway bunkers, which is huge, because not a lot of players are able to do that,” Henderson said.

The second major on the women’s tour is again being played at the site of previous men’s majors, where big tee shots can pay big dividends. Henderson won her first major at Sahalee last year, and Wie claimed her only major — the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open — at Pinehurst.

Praise for Olympia Fields, a tree-lined classic layout just south of Chicago, is nearly unanimous. But it’s being tempered by players struggling to navigate the changing wind, with gusts up to 16 mph. Oh called that a “massive” factor in her decisionmaking.

“We kind of anticipated it,” she said. “It’s the ‘Windy City.’ But it was like this from the very beginning and I stayed patient out there.”

The Women’s PGA marks the start of a stretch of three majors in six weeks, which should provide some clarity at the top of the game.

CHARLES REX ARBOGAST — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Brittany Altomare reacts to her birdie on the 18th green during the first round of the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship at the Olympia Fields Country Club Thursday in Olympia Fields, Ill.