Trio on top in Arkansas

The tail-end of Hurricane Henriette caused a four-and-a-half hour delay at the £600,000 LPGA NW Arkansas Championship and left half the field unable to complete their opening rounds.

There was a three-way tie at the top as Teresa Lu, rookie Kristy McPherson and Katherine Hull all carded six under-par 66s.

That was one ahead of Sherri Turner with Sweden’s Maria Hjorth – due to play in next week’s Solheim Cup in her homeland – on four-under.

European team-mate Linda Wessberg was two-under through five when darkness fell.

England’s Karen Stupples shot a one-under 71 for a share of 28th with Scotland’s Janice Moodie 46th after a 72 while compatriot Mhairi McKay’s first eagle of the LPGA Tour season could not prevent her slumping to a four-over 76.

The 32-year-old Glaswegian went to two-under at the 484-yard seventh but then bogeyed her next two holes.

After the turn she dropped shots on two further holes while racked up a double-bogey five on the 15th at Pinnacle Country Club.