Houston’s Champions Golf Club received almost an inch of rain over 24 hours, bumping the US Women’s Open final to Monday.
“We want to ensure course conditions are worthy of crowning a major champion,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of championships.
Japan’s Hinako Shibuno (+150 on DraftKings up from Saturday’s +175) leads the field at -4 with a 209, one shot ahead of American Amy Olson (+300 up from +335).
Most of the Field Unable to Tee Off Sunday
Current No. 1 Jin Young Ko (+1500) and amateur Kaitlyn Papp (+5000) didn’t make it out of the first tee box on Sunday morning before dangerous weather suspended play at 10:10 a.m. ET. A total of six groups (18 golfers) had yet to tee off before course officials halted play at 1:40 p.m. ET.
With drier, colder weather expected Monday, temperatures should dip into the high 30s by 8 a.m., warming up to the low 50s in the early afternoon.
In limited action on Sunday, 2018 US Women’s Open champion Ariya Jutanugarn (+1400) birdied the first hole to pull to even par, four strokes behind Shibuno.
Papp said she spent the rain delay with Texas assistant coach Kate Golden and planned to check back into her hotel room for a mellow afternoon with her family.
Shibuno Looking to Make LPGA History, Winning Two Majors in Two Starts
Shibuno is looking to become only the third player in LPGA history to make her first two wins a major. Se Ri Park and In Gee Chun are the two players who have already accomplished this feat. Shibuno won the 2019 AIG Women’s British Open to earn her spot in the open.
Play resumes at 9 a.m. ET on Monday with Golf Channel airing live coverage from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET.