Vikki Laing six under par when Futures Tour play halted
Thunderstorms Suspend Second Round In Gettysburg
From Lisa D Mickey
US Futures Tour Press Officer
Players in Saturday's second round of the $100,000 Gettysburg Championship were looking forward to the cannon-fire battle of a Civil War reenactment that was planned on the grounds after the completion of play. Instead, members of the Duramed FUTURES Tour, along with “General Robert E. Lee” and his soldiers, were running for cover as thunderstorms rolled into the area and suspended play at 4:40 p.m.
Sixty-nine players will return to The Links At Gettysburg at 7:15 a.m. Sunday local time to complete the second round. The final round of the second annual Gettysburg Championship will begin Sunday around 11:15 a.m., from the first and tenth tees.
“We were watching storms build to the southwest and there was so much electricity and humidity in the air that we had several storms just pop up on top of us without warning,” said Christy Barks, director of tournament operations. “So we had no choice but to suspend play for the safety of the players and spectators.”
“It’s disappointing, but you don’t want to be standing out there with a bag full of lightning rods,” said Tour member Emily Bastel of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, who was five-under par for the day after eight and a half holes. “I would like to keep playing, but it’s just the luck of the draw because you can’t control the weather. Today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow and hopefully, I can pick up where I left off when we return.”
Temperatures were sweltering in the 90s all day with high humidity, but several players got hot with comeback rounds before the storms arrived. Brandi Jackson of Greenville, S.C., came storming back from a first-round score of 76 with a 67 (-5) today to go to 143 (-1), while Onnarin Sattayabanphot of Bangkok, Thailand got fired up after her first-round 78 and trimmed her score by 10 shots with a second-round 68. She carded a 36-hole score of 146 (+2).
Violeta Retamoza of Aguascalientes, Mexico was even par through six holes, while Seo-Jae Lee of Seoul, Korea, was two-under-par through six holes.
Joining Retamoza and Lee at six-under par was Vikki Laing of Musselburgh, who birdied her first four holes to grab a share of the lead.
“It’s bad for the tournament to have to suspend play and restart so early tomorrow because there are so many people out here working hard,” said Retamoza, a one-time winner this season. “But to be honest, I didn’t feel like I had it going today. Hopefully, I’ll have it tomorrow.”
Like Laing, Bastel also birdied her first four holes. And like Laing, the stifling temperatures didn’t seem to bother her.
“I don’t think you feel the heat as much when you’re making birdies,” said Bastel.
Maybe not. But General Lee in his dress wool uniform and the Civil War-era ladies in petticoats appeared a little ruffled in the heat. Funny how history repeats itself.
For scores and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com
Weather: For most of the day, overcast and partly sunny, humid with a high temperature of 93 degrees with winds around 7 mph. Winds gusted to 20 mph when afternoon storms kicked in, turning skies dark with lightning and heavy rain.
Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour at (717) 359-4132 and at lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.
From Lisa D Mickey
US Futures Tour Press Officer
Players in Saturday's second round of the $100,000 Gettysburg Championship were looking forward to the cannon-fire battle of a Civil War reenactment that was planned on the grounds after the completion of play. Instead, members of the Duramed FUTURES Tour, along with “General Robert E. Lee” and his soldiers, were running for cover as thunderstorms rolled into the area and suspended play at 4:40 p.m.
Sixty-nine players will return to The Links At Gettysburg at 7:15 a.m. Sunday local time to complete the second round. The final round of the second annual Gettysburg Championship will begin Sunday around 11:15 a.m., from the first and tenth tees.
“We were watching storms build to the southwest and there was so much electricity and humidity in the air that we had several storms just pop up on top of us without warning,” said Christy Barks, director of tournament operations. “So we had no choice but to suspend play for the safety of the players and spectators.”
“It’s disappointing, but you don’t want to be standing out there with a bag full of lightning rods,” said Tour member Emily Bastel of Upper Sandusky, Ohio, who was five-under par for the day after eight and a half holes. “I would like to keep playing, but it’s just the luck of the draw because you can’t control the weather. Today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow and hopefully, I can pick up where I left off when we return.”
Temperatures were sweltering in the 90s all day with high humidity, but several players got hot with comeback rounds before the storms arrived. Brandi Jackson of Greenville, S.C., came storming back from a first-round score of 76 with a 67 (-5) today to go to 143 (-1), while Onnarin Sattayabanphot of Bangkok, Thailand got fired up after her first-round 78 and trimmed her score by 10 shots with a second-round 68. She carded a 36-hole score of 146 (+2).
Violeta Retamoza of Aguascalientes, Mexico was even par through six holes, while Seo-Jae Lee of Seoul, Korea, was two-under-par through six holes.
Joining Retamoza and Lee at six-under par was Vikki Laing of Musselburgh, who birdied her first four holes to grab a share of the lead.
“It’s bad for the tournament to have to suspend play and restart so early tomorrow because there are so many people out here working hard,” said Retamoza, a one-time winner this season. “But to be honest, I didn’t feel like I had it going today. Hopefully, I’ll have it tomorrow.”
Like Laing, Bastel also birdied her first four holes. And like Laing, the stifling temperatures didn’t seem to bother her.
“I don’t think you feel the heat as much when you’re making birdies,” said Bastel.
Maybe not. But General Lee in his dress wool uniform and the Civil War-era ladies in petticoats appeared a little ruffled in the heat. Funny how history repeats itself.
For scores and more information, visit www.duramedfuturestour.com
Weather: For most of the day, overcast and partly sunny, humid with a high temperature of 93 degrees with winds around 7 mph. Winds gusted to 20 mph when afternoon storms kicked in, turning skies dark with lightning and heavy rain.
Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour at (717) 359-4132 and at lisa@duramedfuturestour.com.
Labels: Pro Ladies
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | 8:28:00 am
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