(CNN)— The women’s golf tournament at the Tokyo Olympics could be reduced to 54 holes, officials have warned.
60 players are scheduled to play the East Course at the Kasumigaseki Country Club across the four-day tournament, which commenced on Wednesday. However, a tropical weather system forecast is expected to pass over the club on Saturday, which could jeopardize the length of the competition.
“We have notified the players that we may have to be forced to reduce to a 54-hole competition,” Heather Daly-Donofrio (USA), the tournament’s technical delegate and the LPGA’s chief tour operations officer, said on Wednesday.
“We will not change tomorrow’s schedule. We will play 18 holes as scheduled tomorrow. We will play another 18 holes on Friday and then we will continue to track this tropical system and see what Saturday brings,” she added.
Daly-Donofrio confirmed that the suggestion of playing extra holes on Thursday and Friday had been considered, but that the tournament’s medical team cautioned against it, due to the grueling heat and humidity at this year’s Games.
“The health and safety of our players and caddies is first and foremost,” Daly-Donofrio said.
She added that “in an ideal world,” the decision on whether or not to end play after 54 holes would be made before players tee off in their third round.
“But it’s all going to depend on that forecast and what we are seeing from our meteorologist, so it may or may not come before that,” she said. “We hope it veers and goes off and then we can play our final round cleanly on Saturday.”
Team USA’s Nelly Korda — who is the No. 1 ranked women’s golfer in the world — is among the favorites for gold going into the tournament, as well as South Korea’s defending champion Inbee Park, and Australia’s Minjee Lee, who recently claimed her first major at the Evian Championship in July.
Sweden’s Madelene Sagström leads after the opening round, a shot ahead of Korda and India’s Aditi Ashok.
