SECOND ROUND SUSPENDED DUE TO DARKNESS AFTER STORMS
The second round of the Garden City Charity Classic was suspended at 3:22 p.m. CST this afternoon due to dangerous weather in the area surrounding Buffalo Dunes Golf Course. At 6:07 p.m. local time, play resumed.
Thanks to the weather delay of two hours and 45 minutes, play was again suspended at 7:59 p.m. CST because of darkness with 48 individuals still to complete round two. Competition is set to restart at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow and the final round will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m.
ADAMS BREAKS DRIVER BEFORE ROUND
Before teeing off at 1:35 p.m. this afternoon, Lori Beth Adams (Burlington, North Carolina) realized she would be without her Wilson Cortex driver after breaking it during warmups.
“It shook me pretty well, but started by hitting it close on No. 10 and easy two-putt,” said Adams, who had a back nine start. “Stayed within myself and didn’t let it get to me because 3-wood is fine here even on the windiest day. Hopefully it can stay calm the rest of the tournament. Now just need to be smart in playing through the wind.”
Nonetheless, the University of North Carolina Wilmington alumna managed to go 6-under par through 15 holes before surrendering the day to darkness. With three holes to finish, it seems very likely Adams will make it 13 straight rounds on the Epson Tour at even par or better.
“I just feel comfortable over my putting, but I don’t think it’s where I was last season because my putting was really solid,” said Adams, who is 9-under par overall. “I want to get back to that and think I’m on the right track, especially now by staying focused on what I can do without a driver.”
LLANEZA CONTINUES UPWARD TREND
After holding the 18-hole advantage, Alejandra Llaneza (Mexico City, Mexico) continued the momentum with a 4-under par 68 showing in the second round to sit at 9-under overall.
“It’s a great feeling and has been a while because I think it actually has,” said Llaneza, who recorded back-to-back rounds under par for the first time this season. “Very exciting and I’m focused on playing one shot at a time, having fun. The course is in really good shape which is also helpful.”
Her most recent win as a professional came at the 2017 Pennsylvania Women’s Open, but it was only a two-day event. Llaneza mentioned there was no leaderboard and she never knew what the standings looked like. Meanwhile, the last time she can recall being in a spot like this with knowledge of the situation was her victory at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic in 2015.
“I can’t remember any other times on the Epson Tour,” Llaneza said. “I need to stay in the present and keep going, trusting that I’ve done it before. Even though that was my last Epson Tour win, I played a lot of good tournaments growing up and remember what it is like to win. Hopefully I can grow on that tomorrow, but the main thing is staying one shot at a time and not getting too distracted.”
NOTABLE QUOTES
Maria Parra (-7, 3rd) on how she handles a suspension mid-round:
“I don’t really like weather delays, but I just need to stay calm. I usually pass the time by speaking with my family, boyfriend and coach. Even watched the [U.S. Open final] tennis match today. I try to relax and wait for what is to happen. When I am on the golf course, I think the same and it doesn’t change. Whether it is raining or windy, and at the course for 10 hours or five or even just one.”
Robynn Ree (-6, 4th) on battling the windy conditions in Garden City:
“My eyes are so dry, I thought my contacts fell out. It wasn’t bad in the morning, so that’s where I did all my scoring. On the second nine just tried to minimize the damage as much as possible, got a few up and downs which helped keep things together. With the winds you have to be patient. A couple drives I hit went 300-plus yards and there’s nothing I could do about those, but need to make sure angles are right. It is hard with these kinds of winds since you don’t know how your ball is going to react. I did struggle a little with getting it close to the hole."
Daniela Iacobelli (-5, T5) on a bogey-free, 5-under par 67 performance:
“I think I blacked out on No. 6 and woke up on No. 17, like don’t mess this up. That wasn’t like me in the wind. This isn’t bad because it is the same direction we practice in, but if it hiked up and switched then you are all sorts of messed up. Just trying to keep it in the fairway first before figuring out the rest. This year, people have been coming from behind to win a lot of events. I’m trying to break my pattern here, not a good course to me. Anything can really happen.”
Fatima Fernandez Cano (-5, T5) on being 1-under par through 13 and having to finish tomorrow:
“It’s going to be a little bit of a mess of course just because we have to return in the morning, regroup and wait around. I was able to relax during the storm today and once it passed, take it one shot at a time like always. I wouldn’t say there’s urgency, but it’s a different day. It might be the same round and yet it is a new day with new possibilities basically. The mentality is more optimistic and patient about what is to come.”
PLAYER NOTES
Lori Beth Adams
- Adams, 27, is a native of Burlington, North Carolina
- Named the 2013 Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Golfer of the Year
- Two-time First Team All-CAA selection at the University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Runner-up in the 2014 North South Amateur contested on Pinehurst Resort’s No. 6 and No. 8
- Selected as the Carolina Golf Association Player of the Year in 2015
- Total of 34 career starts on the Epson Tour with six top-10 finishes
- Made the cut in 14-of-18 events last season with four top-10 results including a career-best showing of T2 at the Island Resort Championship
- Finished T33 at the inaugural LPGA Q-Series to earn Priority List Category 14 status for the 2019 LPGA Tour season
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