DEUTSCHE BANK LADIES SWISS OPEN CUT TO 3 ROUNDS

By BETHAN CUTLER
Ladies European Tour Media and Marketing
Heavy and persistent rain saw play abandoned on Saturday afternoon at the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open. The decision was made to resume second round play at 7.30am local time on Sunday at Golf Gerre Losone, after continual downpours made the course unplayable.
The second round is expected to finish at 10am with the third and final round planned to begin at approximately 11am from two tees. The tournament has now been reduced from 72 to 54 holes.
The forecast is much better for Sunday but Tournament Director Andy Lott, from the Ladies European Tour, said: “It’s so very disappointing again following two years where the tournament has been rain affected. The torrential rain over the past day has made the fairways and bunkers impossible to play. It would take three or four hours without any rain whatsoever for the course to dry. The greens staff will be working late tonight and early tomorrow to make the course playable and fortunately good conditions are forecast for tomorrow.”
Of the six times it has been played, the tournament has now been shortened three times due to bad weather.
The fifth edition in 2010, won by Lee-Anne Pace, was reduced from 72 to 54 holes on Thursday after the first day’s play was cancelled.
The 2009 event, won by Marianne Skarpnord, was played over four rounds, but the 2008 tournament was also reduced to 54 holes when the last round was washed out. The third round leader, Suzann Pettersen, took the title with a winning total of 22 under par.
The 2007 event, won by Bettina Hauert, was played over four rounds as was the inaugural tournament, which Gwladys Nocera won in 2006.
The tournament was moved from May to its current June date in 2010, to avoid the bad weather, however this year May enjoyed unseasonably hot conditions and the weather patterns continue to fluctuate.