After a lengthy delay due to thunderstorms and rain, the final day of the U.S. Women’s Open has been suspended for the remainder of the day and will be resumed on Tuesday morning New Zealand time.
The play had begun on the Champions Golf Club course in Houston Texas earlier than normal due to the expected conditions but after only half the field had teed off play was suspended and with fairways under water the decision was made to move everything to Monday Houston time.
Kiwi Lydia Ko is only four shots back from leader Hinako Shibuno going into the final round.
A USGA official blows the horn to signal a weather delay during the final round at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club (Cypress Creek Course) in Houston, Texas on Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020. (Robert Beck/USGA)As thunderstorms moved in on Champions Golf Club in Houston, officials blew the horn to stop play at 9:10 a.m. Final-round tee times had been moved up with scattered storms expected throughout the day, so the final group was 25 minutes from teeing off.
Then at 12:39 p.m., the play was officially called for the day, setting up a Monday finish. In a tweet, the USGA cited “course conditions and anticipated inclement weather this afternoon” as the reasons for the decision.
Final round play at the 75th #USWomensOpen has been suspended the remainder of the day due to course conditions and anticipated inclement weather this afternoon.
— U.S. Women’s Open (USGA) (@uswomensopen) December 13, 2020
John Bodenhamer, Senior Managing Director, Championships said the Champions Golf Club in has received .73 inches (19mm) of rain in the past 24 hours.
“We want to ensure course conditions are worthy of crowning a major champion,” said Bodenhamer.
Play will resume at 8 a.m. local time (3 am NZDT). Eighteen players have yet to tee off in the championship’s final round.
