Severe weather and flooding led tournament officials to cancel the second round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. This important decision happened in Rogers, Arkansas during the 3rd week of August. LPGA Tour officials made the decision to stop play even before the initial round had begun. This decision created a buildup of uncertainty for the players and fans alike about how the tournament would play out.
This year’s championship is already a historic one in LPGA history. It hearkens back to the first tournament in 2007 which suffered during extreme weather. If you don’t remember that edition, it’s because, at the time, Stacy Lewis was still an amateur shooting a breathtaking score. Unfortunately, rain forced the event to be played in only 18 holes. As a result, that tournament was left uncounted as official.
The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is currently the shortest tournament on the LPGA schedule. It counts an exhilarating 54 holes in total! But thanks to the inclement weather, nobody had even finished three holes in the second round. At 8-under par, Sarah Schmelzel and Minami Katsu have both held the lead individually. At the same time, Alison Lee proved she was feeling it with a birdie to go 3-up before play was stopped. Lee was at 8-under par. She had just returned to the tour after having her son at the end of April.
The unpredictability of Sunday’s action cast a long shadow as officials continued to monitor weather conditions. The LPGA Tour still has not released a new schedule or other details on returning to play. We know that the political situation is fluid. Players are keeping their fingers crossed that a shift in the weather will allow them to compete and play out the championship to its conclusion.
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