SPECIAL COVERAGE OF THE U.S. WOMEN&aposS OPEN: LISTEN TO THE AUSSIES: SECOND ROUND Katherine Hull: click here
SOUTHERN PINES, NORTH CAROLINA: Australia&aposs four competitors at the US Women&aposs Open are copping the worst of persistent weather delays. When play resumes tonight (Australian time) none of them will have hit a ball in competition for almost two days. This area of pine forests and great golf courses in North Carolina has gone for weeks without major electrical storms, but they have arrived in force and more are forecast this morning (Australian time). With the cut still to be decided, it&aposs possible all four Katherine Hull, Wendy Doolan, Rachel Heatherington and Karrie Webb will play the final two rounds. Katherine Hull is the best-placed Australian at one over par after her first round, but even Karrie Webb, at 12 over after a shocking first-round meltdown, is in with a chance. That&aposs because, with the field bunched tightly, the 10-shot rule is likely to be invoked. That prevents any player who is within 10 shots of the lead missing the cut, under the regulations of the US Golf Association. The cut could be as high as 10 over par if the first-round leaders stumble tomorrow. Brazil&aposs Angela Park is atop the leaderboard at three under par, but, like the Australians, still hasn&apost played a shot of her second round. With luck and cooperation from the rest of the field, Karrie Webb could be back in the tournament with a second-round 69. The USGA has begun to talk aloud about what many are thinking: that the tournament may not end until Monday US time (Tuesday Australian time). The USGA Director of Rules and Competitions, Mike Davis, was as frustrated as the players about the weather when he spoke to journalists today: Click here to listen or download