ROGERS -- Paula Creamer had a 4-inch par putt left to finish off a 4-under 67 before the siren blew Friday signaling a second weather delay during the opening round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
A total of 12 threesomes had completed their first round which included two weather delays totaling four hours. Creamer had just missed her birdie attempt on 18 and was preparing to tap in for par when the horn blared proceeding the second delay.
"It is what it is," said Creamer, who ultimately finished her round nearly nine hours after it started. "Well it's that time of the year. It's summer time. It's what happens. You just have to be ready to play in the rain, be ready for some stop and go."
Play was suspended the first time at 11:25 a.m., and resumed two hours later, forcing two hours of the Golf Channel's planned live three-hour coverage to center on early highlights and include about 10 interviews inside the clubhouse of the crowded Pinnacle Country Club. Play resumed as the network was leaving the air.
"It wouldn't be the Northwest Arkansas Championship without a rain delay," Morgan Pressel told the Golf Channel during the first break.
Pressel was nearly dead-on with the assessment. The very first LPGA tournament at Pinnacle Country Club in 2007 turned into a one-day event when rain washed out the final two rounds, in which then-amateur Stacy Lewis, a member of the Arkansas women's golf team, was recognized as the unofficial winner.
Play was suspended in the first round of the 2008 tournament, but all three rounds were completed. Rain plagued the Thursday pro-ams in 2009 and 2010, but the tournament went off without any weather-related issues. In 2011 and 2012, there were no setbacks, though a constant rain plagued the 2013 Monday qualifier.
Rain washed out the Wednesday pro-am before postponing the finish of Saturday's afternoon groups who had to come back early Sunday morning before the 36-hole cut could be made and the final round commence.
"It was hard to get anything going," said Inbee Park, the World's No. 1 ranked player who got caught on the 17th hole Friday and finished with a 2-under 69. "It's especially tough coming out in the morning then getting stuck out here. It's obviously disappointing but what can you do? I had my fingers crossed to just have 15 minutes to finish."
Instead, the delays lasted a total of more than four hours. Play did not resume until 5:08 p.m. after the second delay, which means a number of groups will not complete their first round until today.
Park tracking leaders
No. 1-ranked Inbee Park fired a 2-under par 69 in her first round to position herself four shots behind the trio of leaders in the clubhouse.
Park, who won the tournament in 2013 and is coming off her sixth major championship victory two weeks ago at the Women's PGA Championship, was even par through her first 13 holes, but birdied Nos. 14 and 16 to get in the red. Park was among the group of players who were caught in both the day's delays.
"Pretty long day," Park said.
Friday was also Park's first round since re-claiming her No. 1 ranking from Lydia Ko two weeks ago.
Crowd at No. 17 can carry a tune
Tournament officials have been billing the par-3, No. 17 hole at Pinnacle Country Club as the loudest hole in golf since 2013. Typically, Fridays have not been the rowdiest of days at the tournament, though Saturdays and Sundays the past two years have brought more energy, particularly in 2014 when Lewis used the hole as a springboard to a dramatic birdie finish on No. 18 on Sunday to win the tournament for the first time.
The crowd had its energy drained Friday because of two weather delays totalling four hours. There were Hog Calls for current Razorbacks as Gaby Lopez and Samantha Marks came through and loud cheers when birdie putts found the cup at the tough back-right location.
Its finest moment Friday came when Paula Creamer, nicknamed the Pink Panther due to her fondness for the color, was greeted with the humming of the cartoon's theme song.
"Pretty cool," Creamer said.
Tourney to host 5k this morning
Around 460 runners will run in the inaugural 5k at the LPGA this morning in Rogers.
The race will begin and end at the Walmart AMP, featuring a route that runs alongside the Pinnacle Country Club course. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m., while the race begins at 7:30. P&G will match the tournament's $5,000 donation to Mercy Foundation Northwest Arkansas.
* Jimmy Carter contributed to this report.
Sports on 06/27/2015