THE COLONY, Texas — Nicole Broch Larsen played 14 holes in 3 under to take the early lead in the second and final round of the weather-abbreviated LPGA Texas Classic on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Dane, who’s ranked 89th and has never won on the LPGA Tour, followed her opening-round 67 by going bogey-free before play was halted by darkness to reach 7 under, good for a one-shot lead.
She will finish on Sunday morning. Half the players had yet to begin their second rounds.
Thursday’s play was cancelled, and rain delayed the start on Friday by 8 1/2 hours, resulting in the tournament being reduced from 72 holes to 36. There was no cut, but only the top 70 and ties in the 144-woman field will receive prize money.
Sung Hyun Park and Jenny Shin led after the first round at 6-under 66 and were to play their second rounds on Sunday. Aditi Ashok was 6 under through 14 holes of her second round, and Gaby Lopez was 6 under through 11.
Park, last year’s U.S. Women’s Open champion and the top-ranked player in the field at No. 5, had seven birdies and one bogey at the 6,475-yard Old American Golf Club, which is hosting the event for the first time. She was 6 under when play was halted on Friday and parred her remaining four holes on Saturday.
Shin, also from South Korea, was 4-under through 14 on Friday. On Saturday, she birdied the par-3 seventh and the par-4 ninth. Shin’s only career LPGA Tour win was two years ago at this tournament’s previous home, Las Colinas Country Club in Irving.
Ashok, a 20-year-old from India, collected five birdies and a bogey in her final eight holes on Saturday. She tied for seventh last week at Lake Merced, her best LPGA finish.
Mexico’s Lopez, who played collegiately at Arkansas, was 3-under through 11 after a first-round 69.
After heavy rains and gusty wind Thursday and Friday, Saturday featured bright sunshine and temperatures in the low 80s.
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