GARDEN CITY, KANSAS, September 9, 2016 - Friday at the Garden City Charity Classic will be remembered for the weather. The day started with a two and a half hour fog delay and ended with 35-40 mile-an-hour winds that forced officials to suspended play due to balls not remaining at rest on certain greens because of the intense wind.

Dana Finkelstein (Chandler, Arizona) posted a 1-under, 71 after the fog delay and just before the heaviest of wind to take the clubhouse lead as second-round play was halted at 6:30 p.m.

Second-round play will resume at 8:00 a.m. and the third-round will begin no earlier than noon with a split-tee format. Nobody in the afternoon wave finished so 22 groups and 64 players will have to finish their second-round before the cut is made.

Finkelstein, 23, ended with a double-bogey on the 18th hole after having to punch out from under a tree, but was still upbeat and pleased with her day.

“Today was a really solid day, I feel like I played just as good as yesterday,” said Finkelstein, who carded a 7-under, 65 on Thursday. “Putts just didn’t fall and I made a big boo-boo on the last hole.”

Finkelstein was 3-under on the day through her first 16 holes and bumped her score to 10-under for the tournament. She made par on 17 and then a double on 18.

“With this wind, I felt really good about how I played,” said Finkelstein, who ranks 13th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “I hear it is supposed to be less windy tomorrow so hopefully I will be able to attack the course a little better.”

Finkelstein has made ten birdies and just two bogeys through 36 holes.

“I’m definitely in a good spot heading into the weekend,” said Finkelstein, who has six top 10 finishes this season. “A win would be really nice especially this week to allow me to go home, but you can’t think that way. You have to just let it happen.”

Finkelstein won five times in college including three times as a senior in 2015 at UNLV.

MARCHAND HAS ROUND OF THE DAY

Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ontario) made five birdies against just one bogey to post a 68 to move from T27 to a tie for second heading into the weekend.

“I was happy with how I played on the back nine because it was pretty windy,” said Marchand, who played college golf at N.C. State. “It was nice to make a couple birdies in the wind. I really played solid yesterday, but I couldn’t get anything to drop.”

Marchand turned in an even-par, 72 on Thursday.

“Yesterday, I felt like my game was there to have a good round, but it just didn’t happen and today things were dropping,” said Marchand. “It’s a good score to post now because the wind is only going to pick up and it is going to be tougher for everyone else.”

Marchand arrived at the course at 7:00 a.m. and didn’t tee off until 10:48 because of the fog delay.

“Towards the end of the delay, me, Emma (Talley) and Sherman (Santiwiwatthanaphong) were having a chipping contest,” said Marchand with a chuckle. “I did my full warm up mostly and then I just sat and talked to friends, but I kept not wanting to start (warming) because I didn’t know. The fog was crazy, it kept coming in.”

“I’m such a nerd, I was looking up why fog stays like it did today,” continued Marchand.

In all seriousness, Marchand said that staying in the fairways will be key this weekend.

“The rough is the thickest we’ve played all year,” said Marchand. “I haven’t been in the rough much. I’ll just try and stay patient and not try and force birdies.”

Marchand has two top 10 finishes as a rookie this season. Her best result is a tie for eighth in mid-August at the Decatur-Forsyth Classic.

MEECHAI IN THE HUNT AGAIN

Wichanee Meechai (Bangkok, Thailand) had a colorful scorecard on Friday with six birdies, a double and two bogeys to shoot a 2-under, 70 to move to a tie for second.

Meechai, who finished solo second last week to move to fourth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, has made ten birdies through two rounds.

“I’ve been hitting my approach shots really close,” said Meechai, who came over to the U.S. for the first time this season. “I’m really trying to win at this point because I am sitting 4th and it’s like 85 percent (LPGA card) and I just want to make sure it is 100 percent locked.”

Meechai said she is feeling both pressure and excitement as she closes in on the LPGA.

“In a month, I could be an LPGA player so that is exciting,” said 23-year-old Meechai. “I’m very happy right now.”

Meechai has seven top 10 finishes this season.

OF NOTE

There are seven players ranked inside the top 25 on the money list that are currently T10 or better.
Last week’s winner, Nelly Korda, is T7 at 2-under through 36-holes. Korda posted a 1-over, 73 on Friday. She ranks 11th on the money list.
Erynne Lee, who ranks 15th on the money list, carded a 3-under, 69 to move from T55 to T10.

Dana Finkelstein Leads by Four as Second-Round Suspends Due to Intense Wind

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