Storms suspend play at Barbasol Championship

Associated Press

nicholasville, ky.

Troy Merritt and Billy Horschel seized on the tight window of favorable weather to post impressive rounds before the sky eventually turned nasty.

The weather stoppage gave Brittany Lincicome her desired Saturday tee time, though the LPGA Tour player must overcome a huge challenge to extend it by making the cut and history in a PGA Tour event.

Overnight storms delayed the start of the second round Friday in the Barbasol Championship, and an afternoon thunderstorm suspended competition for good. The round will resume today with much of the field still to play.

Lincicome opened with a 6-over 78 on Thursday. The first LPGA Tour player since Michelle Wie in 2008 to start a PGA Tour event, she needs a huge rebound to join Babe Zaharias (1945) as the only female players to make the cut.

Merritt holds the clubhouse lead at 15 under, following an opening 62 with a 67. Horschel is two strokes back, following Friday’s 66.

“It’s always a little bit tough out there to keep a rhythm when you know you could be pulled off the course at any time,” Merritt said. “You just don’t know when we’re going to peg it again, but it’s nice to have two rounds under our belt, that’s for sure.”

Richy Werenski and Tom Lovelady are tied for third at 12 under through 17 holes. Six-time PGA Tour winner Hunter Mahan was among a trio of player at 10 under.

A day after posting the best opening round in the Barbasol Championship’s four-year history, Merritt strung together birdies on the first and second holes and again on the sixth and seventh.

Merritt finished with three bogeys but offset those with birdies on the 10th, 15th and 17th holes.

“I got off to a great start going birdie-birdie,” Merritt said. “I was hitting the driver well. The driver got just a little bit sideways toward the middle of the round and we hit a couple less fairways. But I hit a lot of greens again.”