Is There a Viral Flu Outbreak at Mizuho Americas Open? Back-to-Back WDs Raise Concerns

Rose Zhang. Maja Stark. Caroline Masson. The list goes on. The LPGA Tour’s Mizuho Americas Open seems to have been caught in a whirlwind of back-to-back withdrawals, citing a mystery illness as the reason. While the real reason for this particular health condition impairing star pros from teeing it up at the Liberty National Golf Course remains unknown, it is expected that it is likely due to a viral flu outbreak.

How else could one explain the withdrawal spree that started with Rose Zhang withdrawing after playing three holes, spreading its cast onto Maja Stark and Caroline Masson? While Stark’s absence has been concealed by replacing her with Mi Lee, Masson’s withdrawal has paved the way for Mao Saigo in the field. Certainly, it seems the stars have not been in alignment for the golf world this season. From weather delays to unexpected winds, this possible viral flu outbreak demands attention from all those remaining at the Michelle Wie West-hosted event!

Adding a layer of confirmation to this illness outbreak is Rose Zhang’s recent update regarding the symptoms she endured that eventually paved the way for her inability to shine in her first career title defense. According to the young sensation, it was because she “spent the last 12 hours with really bad intestinal pain” that she had to withdraw. This means if this is a viral outbreak, intestinal pain is one of the symptoms. So have the other WD’d candidates faced a similar fate?

Well, it is yet to be seen. While it is possible that Maja Stark and Caroline Masson endured a similar fate before taking this big decision, neither of the two have confirmed the same yet. It remains to be seen whether this health outbreak will lead to a further loss of talent from the star-studded field. Are the abrupt WDs only hindrances in the second edition of the New Jersey-based event? Well, most probably not! There might be another layer of nature-related problems that might ruin the play for the remaining golfers.

Will the weather gods further sabotage the Mizuho Americas Open?

Sadly for this Michelle Wie West-hosted event, the weather gods do not seem very pleased. During its duration from May 16th to May 19th, New Jersey is expected to be covered in clouds with a slight chance of rain showers throughout the weekend. For the first day itself, there are 80% chance of rain and a 1% chance of thunderstorms. The sky would be cloudy too!

Interestingly, the weather conditions will worsen severely on Saturday, as the precipitation chances peak at 21%. The first day of the event is expected to experience high-speed winds ranging from 10 to 20 miles per hour, in addition to the possible flu outbreak. It remains to be seen whether the event will surmount the challenges ahead of it or wall victim.

Who do you think will win the event now that the defending champion is out? Let us know your picks in the comments below.