Boutier clubhouse leader at Texas Classic

LOS ANGELES, California: France’s Celine Boutier’s one-under par 70 was the best of the day among a dozen players who managed to finish the first round on Friday at the rain-hit LPGA Texas Classic.

As storms swamped the Old American Golf Club near Dallas for a second day, LPGA officials reduced the event to 36 holes, with play finally getting underway on Friday more than eight hours after it was originally scheduled.

That followed a Thursday storm packing extreme winds that allowed only 69 minutes of play. Those scores were scrapped and the tournament finally re-started on Friday, but the conditions remained so poor that organizers told ticket-holders to stay home.

Half the field teed off on Friday, with Boutier the best of those who made it into the clubhouse after a round that included four birdies and three bogeys.

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh and American Katelyn Sepmoree were both in the clubhouse on 71.

South Korea’s world number five Park Sung-hyun, the top-ranked player in the field, was six-under through 14 holes when darkness halted play.

South Korean Jenny Shin was four-under through 14 and compatriot Kim Sei-young was four-under through 12.