NORTON, Mass. (AP) — Miranda Wang waited a long time to make a short birdie to finally finish a 5-under 67, giving her a two-shot lead Friday among those who completed their second rounds in the rain-delayed FM Championship.
Most of the wet day at TPC Boston was a series of rain delays, and it wound up taking Wang some 10 hours to finish the round.
Nelly Korda, scheduled for an afternoon start, managed to get in four holes (two birdies) and will return with the second half of the field Saturday morning.
Jeeno Thitikul, the No. 1 player in women's golf, joined Hannah Green and defending champion Lauren Coughlin in jogging down the ninth fairway when they saw darkening skies and wanted dearly to finish their round before the next delay.
“I don't think I could have mentally prepared myself for another delay,” Green said with a laugh.
Wang already has 16 birdies over 36 holes and has stretches of big birdie runs. She started the tournament with eight birdies in her opening nine. She finished the second round with three in a row, only it didn't go all that quickly.
She had an eight-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th when the horn sounded — again — stopping play. Wang returned some two hours later and holed the putt to reach 11-under 133.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is tied for 66th at 1 under. She only got four holes in on Friday. Savannah Grewal of Mississauga, Ont., is tied for 97th at 1 over. She finished the second round with a 72.
“I didn’t expect the weather because on the forecast we didn’t see any thunderstorms coming in this morning. But, well, that’s golf,” Wang said. “We’re playing in nature, so it’s sometimes unpredictable. We just have to face it and prepare mentally, physically for the thunderstorms and just try to stay calm and every time warm up just like you didn’t stop and just keep going.”
Madelene Sagstrom had a 66 and was at 9-under 135. Green (68), Azahara Munoz (68) and Celine Borge (66) were another shot back.
The LPGA was hopeful that with a reasonable weekend forecast, the tournament could be close to getting back on schedule by Saturday evening or Sunday morning. The plan was for the cut to be made and then to send threesomes off both nines.
Korda, who has yet to win this year, faced 32 holes on Saturday as she tries to stay in position for a chance at her first victory of the year.
Thitikul, who replaced Korda atop the world ranking earlier this month, charged into the mix with four birdies on the back nine. But she played the front nine in event par for a 68 and was four shots behind.
On this day, what mattered was finishing. It was her idea the group waste no time playing the ninth when they saw the clouds.
“The security guard told us … three minutes left, so run, ready and go,” Thitikul said. “It was start and stop, start and stop. It was frustrating a little bit, but glad we're done.”
Also four shots behind were Women's British Open champion Miyu Yamashita (66) and Jodi Ewart Shadoff, who finished the opening round with four straight birdies to share the 18-hole lead. She had to settle for a 72 on Friday.
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The Associated Press
