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Leah Wigger Grabs Lead In Rain-Suspended Second Round of AMERICAN SYSTEMS Invitational

Posted by Big G under Ladies Pro Golf, Latest Golf News, Spanish Golf

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.,USA

Inclement weather may have been the only obstacle to stop below pictured Leah Wigger’s momentum as she completed six holes and grabbed the overall lead by one stroke in the rain-shortened second round of the AMERICAN SYSTEMS Invitational.

Recurring lightning storms drove half of the tournament field back into the clubhouse during second-round action. Players were shuttled off the course at 4:07 p.m. as lightning was spotted and rain pelted the LPGA International Course.

Wigger, one shot off the lead at 4-under par coming into Saturday’s action, grabbed a one-stroke lead after completing just six holes in her 2:09 p.m. tee-time. She scored a birdie on the fifth hole and was primed for another on the par-3 seventh hole before the storms hit. The non-exempt LPGA Tour member and former University of Virginia Cavalier passed first-day leader Nari Kim of Seoul, South Korea, after Kim made bogey on the third hole.

“It’s just part of golf to expect bad weather,” said Wigger of Louisville, Ky. “I looked at the weather reports for the weekend and I think I’m a good player in bad weather because a lot of people get frustrated.”

After players lingered for over half an hour in the clubhouse, play was suspended for the day around 6 p.m. by Duramed FUTURES Tour Head Rules Official Kelly Wergin because of recurring lightning strikes over the Legends Course.

“We saw that the lightning storms were still coming toward the area,” Wergin said. “We were able to get 72 players off the course. Play will resume tomorrow at 8 a.m.”

Players will be able to warm up on the driving range as “soon as it’s light” according to Wergin and move to the carts at 7:40 a.m. to conclude second-round play at 8 a.m. After the second round is completed and the 36-hole cut is made, the first and 10th tees will be utilized to complete Sunday’s final round, beginning around 11:45 a.m.

Carrying the low round of the day at 3-under par through nine holes prior to the storm, Yeon Joo Lee, had an unfortunate triple bogey on the 10th hole. The third-year professional from Seoul, South Korea, carded back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes, defying the wind that plagued most of the field in the morning.

“It’s OK because everyone is in the same situation,” Lee said after coming off the course. “I just need to go back out with the same mentality tomorrow and try to pick up where I left off.”

Rain, Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day

The storm didn’t dampen the hearts of the players after packing in the clubhouse to retreat from the torrential downpour. The sudden invasion of Duramed FUTURES Tour players flooded the clubhouse lobby and preceded a wedding ceremony as they waited for announcements.

While waiting for the weather to clear, Second-year Duramed FUTURES Tour pro Caroline Larsson of Stockholm, Sweden, expanded her Korean vocabulary and proudly showed off new terminology to Scotland native and former Florida Southern collegian Pamela Feggans. Former Cal-Berkeley standout Sofie Andersson and her coach, Katarina Vangdal, the Swedish National Coach, wondered if there was a Coldstone Ice Cream shop in the vicinity. Libby Smith of Essex Junction, Vt., started thinking about the Final Four in the NCAA men’s basketball championship. Smith says she doesn’t follow college basketball and is more of an NBA fan, but still has a team to root for as March Madness continues later tonight.

“I don’t really get into the pools, but I’m rooting for Kansas because my host family (originally from Kansas) might not let me in if I don’t,” Smith joked.

Jennifer Ackerson Scores Ace on 15th hole

Jennifer Ackerson of Dallas scored the Tour’s second season hole-in-one during Saturday’s second round. Ackerson used a 6-iron to ace the 164-yard 15th hole. It was her third career hole-in-one, but her first in competition.

“I was plus-two for the day and that shot got me back to even par, so it was pretty nice,” she said. “It came at a good time.”

Olsen Salvages Second Round, Remains in the Hunt

Second-year Duramed FUTURES Tour pro Sarah (Martin) Olsen felt fortunate to have a morning tee time. Finishing at 2-over par on the day with a 74, the former collegian at Michigan State discussed the answers for blustery conditions and will have to wait to see how the second round plays out tomorrow to see if she will make the cut. A former college teammate of Duramed FUTURES Tour alums Allison Fouch and Emily Bastel in East Lansing, Olsen is no stranger to the complicated weather that she saw in the Big Ten Conference.

“Sometimes the wind would affect it and sometimes the wind wouldn’t touch it today,” said Olsen of Brownstone, Mich. “It kept me guessing because it was really windy in the morning. It’s just not the weather that makes me play bad though, sometimes I can shoot myself in the foot.”

Seeing Red

Only Ji Min Jeong of Seoul, South Korea, and Eunjung Yi of Murrieta, Calif., were able to find red numbers from the players who completed their round. Jeong completed her day at 1-under par to vault from a tie for 120th to a 70th-place tie. Yi also finished at 1-under par with a 71 and moved into 38th after beginning the day in 88th.