PATTAYA: Heavy rain resulted in the suspension of play on Friday at the Honda LPGA Thailand Open, where World No.2 Ariya Jutanugarn is looking for her first victory of the season.
The second round will resume at 7am Saturday with the third round to follow immediately after, the LPGA announced on its website. No player was able to complete more than eight holes on Friday as the downpour rendered conditions unplayable at the Siam Country Club, Pattaya Old Course.
Ariya is tied for the lead with 2015 champion Amy Yang of South Korea at 6-under par, one shot ahead of six other players including World No. 4 Shanshan Feng of China.
The players at the top of the leaderboard were scheduled to tee off at 11.50am and were still waiting out the rain when tournament officials ordered all players off the course at 12.40pm. The round was officially abandoned at 3.45pm.
"We were hoping we could get out and play some more golf. All four of us (LPGA rules officials) went out and looked, and there is just too much of a mess out there to be able to go and play,” said Sue Witters, LPGA vice-president of rules and competition. "It will take them a long time to restore the bunkers and pump the water out."
Second-round competition will resume at 7am Saturday. Projected starting times for round three will be from 10:30am to 12.42pm. Players will remain in their round two pairings for round three.
Ariya, who tied for third at the Australian Open last week, got off to an ideal start with a bogey-free 66 on Thursday. She is bidding to become the first local champion of the US$1.6-million Honda event, now in its 12th year.
Ariya's sister Moriya carded a 3-under 69 to tie for 11th, while veteran Pornanong Phatlum finished one under par at 71.