Yamamoto Stretches Lead in Weather-Delayed 2nd Round at Fox Chapel

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What Happened

Part of the test of championship golf is the ability to adapt to whatever life throws at you, whether it’s a bad lie, bad bounce or, in the case of Friday’s second round of the 6th U.S. Senior Women’s Open, bad weather. With tee times at Fox Chapel Golf Club delayed more than three hours by nature, it’s somehow fitting that Kaori Yamamoto, whose circuitous path to this championship included caddying in it last year and going through a qualifier this year, has the lead going into the weekend.

With most of Friday's afternoon wave needing to finish their second round Saturday morning, Yamamoto is at 8-under-par par 134, breaking the 36-hole scoring record for the championship by two strokes. Of those who finished on Friday, the closest chasers are five-time USGA champion Juli Inkster, four-time USGA champion Annika Sorenstam and Leta Lindley at 2-under-par 140, six strokes behind Yamamoto.

A predawn text message from the USGA told players the 7:15 tee times were on hold until the course could be manicured, following more than a half-inch of overnight rainfall. But by the resumption of play at 10:45 a.m., Fox Chapel’s maintenance crew and the USGA competitions staff had the course in excellent condition.

Yamamoto, who caddied for her best friend Eika Otake in this championship last year and was so impressed by the way the USGA conducted it that she entered a qualifier in Texas to get into this year’s field, was brilliant in posting her second consecutive round of four-under-par 67. She hit 17 of 18 greens and has missed only four greens through 36 holes.

“I can't believe that I made that score today,” Yamamoto said. “I'm so happy to be here. My iron shots were very good today, so that's why I made a lot of chances at making birdies. But I have a big regret that I couldn't make some birdies. I thought I would get more birdies today, but on the other hand, I had good par putts a lot. That's why I had a good score today.”

Sorenstam, always a brilliant iron player, also hit 17 of 18 greens on Friday on her way to a 69.

“I've got to play a lot more aggressive,” she said. “I've got to make some birdies. It's great to be playing the weekend, but I've got my sights set higher than that. Just going to go out there, trust myself and enjoy it. It's such a beautiful place, and we've got amazing fans here and friends are here, so go out there and just play and not think too much and just enjoy it.”

Inkster, who has switched to a long putter, needed 31 putts on Friday, four fewer than in the first round.

“Yes, I played extremely well today,” Inkster said. “I drove the ball well. I think I hit every fairway. I missed one green, and that's just because I hit the ball fat. I had a lot, a lot of opportunities and I thought I rolled the ball okay. Just didn't get them to go in.”

Lindley also hit every fairway and missed only two greens on her way to a 71.

“Hot, wet and a little bit muddy,” Lindley said. “But other than that, it was a solid round. I really felt like I hit the ball well. I did have a couple mud balls out there that it cost me at least one shot if not two, but other than that, I felt like I negotiated the golf course well, left a few putts out there. Step one is done, make the cut, and I'm in position to have a good championship.”

Of those still to finish their second round, Lisa Grimes, who started the day tied for second, was at 5-under for the championship through 12 holes. Stefania Croce fired off six birdies to move to 4-under with two holes remaining in her round. She finished up on Saturday morning with a pair of pars to post the championship's lowest round, a 5-under 66 to move within four strokes of Yamamoto's lead.

Notable

• The second round was suspended due to darkness at 8:22 p.m. EDT on Friday, with a majority of the afternoon wave still on the course at Fox Chapel Golf Club. Play resumed at 7:08 a.m. on Saturday. The third round will begin 45 minutes after the completion of the second round. The third round will be played in threesomes and employ a two-tee start (Nos. 1 and 9).
  
  
• JoAnne Carner, 85, did it again, shooting her age or better for the seventh time in her last eight rounds in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and eight times overall. She made consecutive birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 as she went out in 38 and back in 42 for an 80, five strokes below her age.
  
  
• Laura Davies, the World Golf Hall of Fame member, 1987 U.S. Women’s Open champion and winner of the inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Chicago Golf Club in 2018, withdrew Friday due to an injury. Davies, 60, shot 5-over 76 on Thursday and was 4 over through 10 holes Friday when she withdrew.
  
  
• Ron Philo Jr. is serving as a caddie for his wife, Susan Bond-Philo, during the championship. Ron, who is among a group of husbands working as caddies, is a PGA professional who played in the 1999 U.S. Open and 2017 U.S. Senior Open. His sister, Laura Diaz, is a two-time LPGA winner and will be age-eligible to play in next year’s U.S. Senior Women Open at San Diego Country Club, in Chula Vista, Calif.

Quotable

“Well, it is pretty significant because I haven't played that much in recent years, and it's really nice to receive an exemption to play here. So I've got one more badge that I can give to the USGA for my locker and Hall of Fame.”  -- Carol Semple Thompson on playing in her 122nd USGA championship

“The USGA did a great job this morning, too, letting everybody know about 5:00, 5:05. I woke up and set my alarm and had a [text] that it's delayed, and that was just a dream, so I could go back to bed and kind of watch the Olympics and hang out.” -- Juli Inkster on the weather delay

"I was dreaming of attending this tournament, and then last year I was caddying for my best friend, and then I was thinking, I'm going to make it next year, and that was kind of my dream." 36-hole leader Kaori Yamamoto

Ron Sirak is a Massachusetts-based freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on USGA websites.