Heavy Fog Suspends First-Round Play at U.S. Women's Open

NEWPORT, R.I., June 29, 2006 - The first round of the 61st annual U.S. Women's Open Championship was suspended at 3 p.m. today, due to heavy fog. It was a day that began early for the first tee times and ran late for those players hanging around for the half-hour updates. At the height of the fog, visibility at Newport Country Club was limited to about 70 yards.

"I was ready to play, but I'll just be ready to play again tomorrow," said Duramed FUTURES Tour member Kim Welch of Sacramento. "It was a long day of waiting."

"It's a bummer," said Charlotte Mayorkas of Las Vegas, one of 17 Duramed FUTURES Tour players in the Open field this week. "We'll play 36 on Sunday, just like the old Open."

Thursday's first round will be moved to Friday, and Friday's second round will be played on Saturday. The 36-hole cut will be made for the 156-player field following Saturday's round, with contestants playing 36 holes on Sunday. The Women's Open played 36 holes on Sunday in the 1960s.

"They've had bad weather before at Opens, but this fog just keeps coming and going," said Marianne Morris of Middletown, Ohio, competing in her 12th U.S. Women's Open. "I put my flip-flops on and it started getting better outside, so I put my golf shoes back on it and it started getting worse. Maybe I should put my flip-flops back on. I feel like I've been warming up all day."

Play is expected to resume at 7 a.m. (Eastern) on Friday. Duramed FUTURES Tour alum Virada Nirapathpongporn of Bangkok, Thailand goes off the first tee at 7 a.m. Friday, followed by current Tour members Morris and Sophia Sheridan of Guadalajara, Mexico, paired together at 7:11 a.m.

Contact: Lisa D. Mickey, Duramed FUTURES Tour, at lisa@duramedfuturestour.com .