COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Stacy Lewis’ wait during the latest delay at the U.S. Women’s Open took a wrong turn when she was stuck on a school bus.
By the time the strange ordeal was over, she had lost her lead and was barely hanging on to her cool.
Going for her second major of the year, the former Arkansas Razorback made a bogey and double bogey shortly after a 66-minute rain delay and the lead she held through almost the entire marathon day turned into a two-shot deficit to I.K. Kim.
Kim was at 4 under par with four holes to play when the second round was suspended by darkness. Lewis, who had led by as many as four shots earlier in the day, was tied for second with Wendy Ward at 2 under with two holes left.
“We sat in a school bus,” Lewis said of the way she spent the delay. “It was 20 people in a little school bus. There was no place to go, you couldn’t do anything, it was hard to get loose again. Just kind of unfortunate - unfortunate the way it all worked out, I guess.”
But maybe to be expected during a week that has been interrupted by two afternoon thunderstorms, which has forced backup plans to be replaced by more backup plans.
Only 33 of the 156 players made it through their second round Friday and 66 never made it to their tee time, including Stacy Prammanasudh, who shot a 75 with 2 birdies and 6 bogeys in the first round.
Seeking to complete the career Grand Slam, Yani Tseng couldn’t get going during her day of start-and-stop golf. She was 3 over with two holes to play.
“I think I was just trying too hard,” Tseng said. “I’m trying to play well, trying to hit it close to the pin. Sometimes when you try harder, the worse you get.”
Lewis was playing well. She became the first (and still only) player to reach 5 under with a birdie on the par-4 fifth hole, but then came the latest delay.
“It’s hard to sit in a bus for an hour, then go right back out there and play and get the intensity back,” Lewis said.
After a bogey on No. 14, Lewis fell out of the lead on 15 when she left a greenside bunker shot short of the putting surface, then needed three shots to get down from there.She pushed her tee shot on the par-3 16th short right into a bunker and pounded her club into the ground.
After saving par there in the dimming light, she and playing partners Brittany Lincicome and Na Yeon Choi walked off the course, even though the horn hadn’t sounded yet.
One group in front of her was Betsy King, the 55-year-old six-time major winner, who will come back this morning, putt out on No. 17, then play one final hole before she calls it a career. King was 18 over, with no chance of making the cut.
PGA TOUR
Reavie shoots 62 to lead
SILVIS, Ill. - Chez Reavie shot a 9-under-par 62 Friday, relying on his putter to claim a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the John Deere Classic.
Reavie found the greens at TPC Deere Run to his liking while making an eagle and a succession of birdie putts, going 8 under during one ninehole stretch. He went into the weekend at 14-under 128 in search of his first victory since the 2008 Canadian Open.
Steve Stricker shot a 64 to finish at 12 under in his bid for a third consecutive victory in the tournament.
Steve Marino (66) also was 12 under. Jhonattan Vegas (64), Mark Wilson (67), Brendon de Jonge (66) and Kyle Stanley (67) were four off the lead.
Bryce Molder (Conway) shot a 66 with seven birdies and two bogeys and was at 137. Tag Ridings failed to make the cut of 4 under after shooting a 70 with six birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey to finish at 141.
John Daly (Dardanelle, Arkansas Razorbacks) was on track to make the cut for the first time in seven appearances here after an eagle on his 11th hole of the day, the par-5 No. 2, left him to 2 under for the tournament. But two holes later, he sent his tee shot into thick grass right of the fairway, hacked at the ball seven times while advancing it only a few feet on each try, finally took a drop and ended up with a 13.
“It’s just brutal over there,” said Daly, who finished with an 81 that left him 11 over. “I mean, I hit it in the worst spot on the golf course. You just can’t hit it there.” CHAMPIONS
Cochran opens with 65
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Russ Cochran made six consecutive birdies and shot a 7-under-par 65 to take the first-round lead at the First Tee Open on Friday.
Cochran had seven birdies overall and played a bogeyfree round in his return to the Champions Tour after suffering a wrist injury that led to a two-month layoff. Cochran was only 1 under through 11 holes before going on his run of birdies at the Pebble Beach Golf Links.
David Eger is one shot back at 66, followed by Brad Bryant, Morris Hatalsky and Jim Thorpe at 67. Ten others are tied at 68.
EUROPEAN PGA
Three tied for lead
INVERNESS, Scotland - Storms brought an early end to the second round at the Scottish Open on Friday, with former U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell in a threeway share of the lead.
McDowell shot an 8-underpar 64 in perfect conditions in the morning. He’s tied with Scottish pair Scott Jamieson and Peter Whiteford, who had 66s, at 11-under 133.
Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara (66) was a shot behind the leaders, while Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts (66) and Lawrie were two strokes back.
Phil Mickelson shot a 67, seven strokes behind the leaders.
The second round will resume today.
Sports, Pages 21 on 07/09/2011