With Friday’s round wrapped up and USA’s Sarah Schmelzel and Japan’s Minami Katsu tied at the top for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Saturday looked like another opportunity to rewrite their stories to many. Round 2 was originally scheduled for an early morning start. However, with continuous rains soaking the Pinnacle Country Club, the LPGA tour was forced to abandon their original plans.

The announcement on X stated, “The start of Round 2 @NWAChampionship has been delayed due to dangerous weather conditions. More updates to follow,” with the start being moved to 11:15 a.m. as the rainy weather conditions remained. To make matters worse, the play was suspended at 12:01 p.m. again with eight groups managing to complete at least one hole. The LPGA officially called off golf for the rest of the day at 3:25 p.m. Round two tee times are set for 7:15 a.m. through 8:21 a.m. on Sunday, and again from 11:20 a.m. through 1:21 p.m. Seemingly, officials will inspect the course Sunday morning in coordination with the superintendent and agronomy team to ensure playability.

Latest update: After 3.25″ of overnight rain on Saturday, the LPGA again announced on Sunday morning that it was canceling the remainder of the originally scheduled three-round 54-hole event due to weather and “unplayable” course conditions. The update had the following points mentioned:

• With the champion being decided by the first 18-hole results, the tournament is now unofficial.
• No CME points will be awarded.
• The LPGA partners at Walmart and P&G have ensured every player receives compensation regardless of where they stand on the leaderboard after 18 holes of play. Accordingly, $1.5 million (50 percent of the original purse) will be distributed under the standard LPGA purse distribution method to the top 65 and ties. The remaining $500,000 will be divided evenly among all 144 players in the field, with each receiving $3,500.
• All tickets for Saturday and Sunday would be refunded. 

But this also has one other repercussion: World No. 2 Nelly Korda missing an opportunity to improve her standing. The player ended her first round tied for 66 and was looking to boost her case for the Race to the CME Globe and the Rolex World Rankings. Now, Interestingly, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship has seen such weather in its debut as well.

After already losing her top crown, Korda has yet to secure a victory in 2025 despite top finishes. Her statistics are strong, with a scoring average of 69.89 and ranking 20th in putting. But her readiness and need to adapt to the course in such weather could throw her game off. Thankfully, that would be the case for everyone else as well, turning the challenge into an opportunity.

A victory in Arkansas carries extra weight for Nelly Korda because it strengthens both her season résumé and her long-term LPGA legacy. A $3 million purse, valuable Race to the CME Globe points, and her standing in the Rolex World Rankings could all boost her chances for year-end awards and Player of the Year honors. Yet, when Mother Nature intervenes, things are hardly in your hand.

Notably, when the tournament was first played in 2007, the biggest challenge to the participants became the weather. Persistent downpours soaked Pinnacle Country Club from the opening round, forcing officials to repeatedly halt play. By Sunday, flooded fairways and lightning forced the LPGA to make a rare call: reduce the tournament to 18 holes and declare an official champion. Arkansas amateur Stacy Lewis seized her first unofficial LPGA title in a one-round sprint. Lewis announced her retirement this week, giving an intriguing storyline to the entire situation.

Delays like this are part of a broader pattern of weather-related disruptions in the 2025 LPGA season. In August, the FM Championship experienced multiple rain delays, with the second round extending into Saturday due to dangerous weather conditions. Similarly, the Women’s PGA Championship faced delays due to inclement weather, affecting the tournament schedule. For Nelly Korda, this delay presents both challenges and opportunities.

The LPGA has faced similar storms elsewhere. The 2017 Evian Championship wrapped at 54 holes after heavy rain, while the 2013 Bahamas LPGA Classic was reduced to 36 holes played in three 12-hole rounds when record flooding swamped the course. These examples remind players that quick adaptation often matters more than pre-tournament form when weather rewrites the script. Fast-forward to 2025, and that precedent hangs in the air as Nelly Korda and a strong field once again face a storm-disrupted week in Rogers, Arkansas.