Taiwan's Teresa Lu, Australian Katherine Hull and young US player Kristy McPherson defied a rain delay to share the lead on Friday in the weather-disrupted LPGA NW Arkansas Championship.
After waiting out a rain delay of more than four hours, all three shot a six-under 66, with Sherri Turner the next in the clubhouse at 67 and Sweden's Maria Hjorth in on 68.
More than 70 players were due to finish their rounds yesterday morning, before the second round began.
PHOTO: AFP
Lu had seven birdies and just one bogey and was glad to get the round in.
"That is a good advantage," she said. "I finished today and I can sleep in tomorrow, which is good."
She said she didn't find the waiting too frustrating.
"We just hang out with friends and chitchat, had fun, had a good time," she said.
Hull birdied her last hole, the ninth, to join the leading group.
The Australian's round was highlighted by an eagle at the par-five 13th, where she hit a three-wood to 4m from the cup.
"It's a short par-five," Hull said of her first eagle of the season. "It was quite nice to make an eagle."
She had six more birdies and two bogeys on the day.
"It's kind of pretty simple actually," she said. "I didn't really do anything too bad. I didn't do anything great. But I scored well."
Hull said the rain that delayed the start of play made the course more receptive.
"The greens are soft," she said. "So you can be a bit more aggressive with your approach shots when it's playing that way."
"It was easier and you could expect the greens to be reacting the same way," she said. "But it's quite wet underfoot."
McPherson had seven birdies and just one bogey.
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