Women’s Olympic golf tournament could be shortened as tropical storm looms

Golf officials have determined that if forecasted tropical showers cause delays in the women’s Olympic individual stroke-play tournament, the event can officially be shortened from four rounds of 72 holes, to three rounds of 54. The worst of the weather is expected on Saturday.

Play will begin in Friday’s third round at 7:30 am local time, with a two-tee start on holes one and ten. Tournament organizers have opted to send the threesomes off two tees consecutively because of the particularly high temperature levels expected later in the day.

The plan is currently to do the same for Saturday’s final round, starting at the earlier time of 6:30 am, with a tropical weather system predicted to hit the area. Should bad weather intervene, the option remains to complete the tournament on Sunday, or revert to a 54-hole event.

Sixty female golfers teed off on at Kasumigaseki Country Club on Wednesday with Olympic medals expected to be presented on Saturday.

U.S. golfer Nelly Korda, 23, possesses the lead at 13-under after firing a second round 62, tying the Olympic record. She could have gone lower, but an unexpected late blunder resulted in a double bogey on 18. Korda’s errant tee shot into the rough, was complicated by an unfortunate encounter with a Japanese pine tree forcing her to pitch back into the fairway. A misjudged approach shot into a bunker and two putts later, she recorded a six on the final hole.

Despite the late mishap, it was a superb round for the Florida golfer, who is carrying momentum into the Olympic tournament, having won the LPGA Championship in Georgia six weeks ago. Korda stands at 13-under, four shots clear of Danes Emilie Kristine Pedersen and Nanna Koerstz Madsen. Aditi Ashok, a former rookie of the year on the European Tour, is also four shots adrift.

“Unfortunate with that double (bogey) on 18, but that’s golf,” Korda said.

Nelly’s older sister Jessica is also on the U.S. squad of four players. She is currently at four-under, nine shots off her sister’s lead.

The Rio 2016 Olympic champion, Inbee Park of Korea, is at three-under, ten shots behind Korda. Rio silver medalist Lydia Ko of New Zealand is eight shots off the pace, while bronze medalist Shanshan Feng of China is nine back.

Follow Brian on Twitter - @Brian_Pinelli