Shanshan Feng - © PMILLEREAU / KMSP

Debauchery of umbrellas, black series of bogeys 

Downpours. Some ropes. Draches. We call it what we want but what is certain is that to play golf right now in the New York area, you have to be waterproof enough. Among the 156 players of the 72nd US Women's Open held this week in Bedminster, New Jersey, Shanshan Feng shows the qualities of the Chinese textile industry every day in rainy weather. Totally waterproof, the bronze medalist of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro! Leader at -6 after the first round, she handled the terrible weather conditions from the start of Friday's second round to perfection. Eight leaves and a birdie to go, no risk, no weakness. While next to her, despite a great riot of umbrellas, her co-medalists from Rio took the water: Lydia Ko recorded a series of four bogeys at 3,4,5 and 6, the kind of thing that she probably hadn't known since golf school in New Zealand. Inbee Park, for its part, battled between many bogeys and rare birdies, preparing to not pass the cut at the end of the day.

Without the cowhide polo shirt but really strong

For once, Shanshan Feng was not wearing one of his famous "black and white cowhide" polo shirts (Holstein breed, it seems). But she was really tough once again. "I was ready for it to rain hard all day, that's what I saw as a forecast on my cell phone" she explained laconically to the clubhouse after a return a little less tempered but just as controlled: a bogey for two birdies, a card of 70 after its 66 of the previous day and the leadership of the tournament after two rounds with a total of -8 . Or two strokes ahead of a trio of second tied at -6 with Hye Jin Choi, Jeongheun6 Lee and Amy Yang, all three from South Korea. To believe that in China as in the Land of the Morning Calm, we know how to preserve the remarkable rhythm, the quality of metronome of the swings, even when everything is agitated around you. Whether it's the rain or the media storm around the arrival of a President of the United States who fell there directly from France.

Donald Trump, from the Orly mess to Bedminster

The second round of the US Women's Open was indeed marked, this Friday, July 14, by the visit of Donald Trump "himself". This is not surprising since the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, very close to New York, is one of the many "golf resorts" that belong to it (we can also mention the Trump Turnberry Resort, in Scotland, which Trump had bought just before the 2015 Women's British Open). After his dinner at the Eiffel Tower on Thursday evening with the Macrons, then the official ceremonies of July 14 on the Champs-Élysées and a departure from Orly on Air Force One which completely paralyzed the second Parisian airport, the US president arrived in his New Jersey summer residence (a site already renamed “Summer White House”) at 15:40 pm local time on July 14th. Procession of black limousines, press conference, little tour on the green of 15 to watch the ladies a little in the rain… It was the event because an American president had never visited the women's US Open.

So Yeon Ryu stays sharp, Lydia Ko ultra-combative

We're back to pure sport for the weekend… Despite Shanshan Feng's outstanding waterproof qualities over the first two laps, nothing is settled. Especially with the Korean battalion following her. World number 1 So Yeon Ryu, discreet 6th to - 4 (four strokes from Feng after two laps) is one of them. And largely. Also to be underlined is the ultra-combative state of mind in which Lydia Ko finds herself, the young New Zealander having finally placed 10th at -3. Because after the near sinking of his go with the series of four bogeys, Ko managed to complete his second lap like a plane, with four birdies at 14,15,17 and 18. The talent never surrenders… French side, he There was no miracle for Karine Icher (73, 77) and Isabelle Boineau (76, 74), 85th tied at +6 after two laps and who could not hope to pass a cut set at +2. It will not be a consolation but many other players much more "titled" have been diluted in the drops of Bedminster. Cut for Ariya Jutanugarn, at +7. Cut for Danielle Kang, the recent winner of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, at +3. The difficulties of the Open have cut many heads ...