Despite moving the final-round tee times up 90 minutes in the hopes of catching a break, the U.S. Women’s Open was unable to proceed on Sunday as a series of downpours saturated Champions Golf Club. According to USGA agronomists, .78 inches of rain fell on the course in 24 hours. Given the already muddy conditions players experienced on Saturday, postponing the final round was the only rational call.
“We want to ensure course conditions are worthy of crowning a major champion,” said John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of championships for the USGA.
Play resumes on Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. local (9:00 a.m. EST) with 18 players who have yet to tee off.
Yealimi Noh and Lydia Ko, both at even par, along with KLPGA veteran Ji Yeong Kim2 will tee off at 8:14 local time. The group that includes Moriya Jutanugarn (-1), Amy Olson (-3) and Hinako Shibuno (-4) will begin the final round at 8:25 a.m.
Golf Channel will air live coverage from 9:00 a.m. eastern until 3:00 p.m. on Monday.
This is only the third time in U.S. Women’s Open history that play has extended into Monday without a playoff. But it is also the first in history the event has been contested in December. With both the Jackrabbit and Cypress Creek courses at Champions Club being utilized for the first two days, the USGA looked to have pulled off one of the greatest logistical feats in all of sports, hosting a 156-player major championship one week before the shortest sunlight day of the year in the northern hemisphere.
It will still be a championship worth remembering, not just for the quality play and the terrific venue, but also for the work and commitment the USGA put into elevating the women’s game as a whole. With the launch of the Women Worth Watching campaign, the organization reinforced its commitment.
“Starting in 1895 with the first U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship to today, supporting females in the game of golf has always been a pillar of the USGA,” said Craig Annis, USGA chief brand officer. “Women Worth Watching gives our organization a new platform to not only celebrate the exceptional talents of female athletes in 2020, but also make strides to improve equality in sports far into the future.”
Michelle Wie West, a five-time LPGA winner including the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open, will be the ambassador for the Women Worth Watching initiative going forward.
“The USGA has always been a proud supporter of women’s golf, which makes my U.S. Women’s Open victory that much more special,” Wie West said. “Women Worth Watching is the next step in their continued promise to amplify the women’s game and its champions. I’m honored to be a part of an initiative that will create a better world for females, including my daughter, Makenna.”
The commitment will extend far beyond this one rain-delayed championship. But it was certainly evident in Houston in many small and large ways in Houston – just as it will be again on Monday when (weather permitting) the 75th U.S. Women’s Open champion will be crowned.
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