THE COLONY, Texas — France’s Celine Boutier shot a 1-under 70 Friday to grab the lead among the 12 golfers who finished the rain-delayed first round of the LPGA Texas Classic.
After Thursday’s play was cancelled and Friday’s began following an 8 1/2-hour delay because of rain, the tournament was cut from 72 holes to 36. All 144 golfers will play both rounds with the payout limited to the top 70 and ties. Half the field got on the course Friday.
Boutier, in her second year on tour after playing for Duke, had four birdies and three bogeys on the 6,475-yard Old American Golf Club course that’s hosting the event for the first time.
South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park shot a 6-under through 14 holes. Park, ranked fifth in the world and the top ranked player in the field, recorded seven birdies and one bogey. South Korea’s Jenny Shin and Sei Young Kim were at 4-under through 14 and 12 holes, respectively. Shin’s only career LPGA Tour win came two years ago at the tournament’s previous home, Las Colinas Country Club in Irving.
The first round was postponed from Thursday after only 34 golfers completed one or two holes because of morning rain and afternoon wind.
This will be the LPGA Tour’s first 36-hole event since the Bahamas-LPGA Classic in May 2013, which encountered flooding.