Over the past two days, 10 players have withdrawn from the Mizuho Americas Open due to health issues. The LPGA officials are closely monitoring the situation at Liberty National golf course as they try to understand what is causing these withdrawals.
In the first round, defending champion Rose Zhang had to stop playing after three holes due to an intestinal issue. As a result, alternates So Mi Lee of South Korea and Mao Saigo of Japan joined the field. Lee is currently in second place, while Saigo is three shots back from the halfway leader Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand.
The LPGA has disclosed that out of the 10 players who withdrew, three of them cited injuries as the reason for their departure. Medical professionals on-site have treated athletes for symptoms related to a viral infection. Precautions are being taken to ensure the health and safety of all participants.
Some of the notable players who withdrew from the tournament include Ruoning Yin of China, Paula Creamer, and Lindsey Weaver-Wright of the United States, Jiwon Jeon, Haeran Ryu, and A Lim Kim of South Korea, and Minami Katsu of Japan. The LPGA tour has a week off before heading to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for the U.S. Women’s Open.
The withdrawals have been unusual for this event as there are usually fewer player withdrawals during this time.
Rose Zhang’s withdrawal was particularly surprising as she had won this tournament last year and was expected to be one of the top contenders again this year.
The LPGA officials are taking steps to ensure that all participants are healthy and safe during this event.
As a journalist covering this event it will be interesting to see how things progress in regards to player withdrawals and if any more players drop out before it’s over.