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Second-round scores were scrapped as play was suspended because of 60mph winds at the Women's British Open.

Little more than an hour's play was possible on Friday morning, with the first 18 women carding a total of 52 over par for holes on the front nine.

A Ladies' Golf Union statement read: "It would have been unfair to those competitors not to cancel all scores for the round in question at Hoylake."

With conditions failing to improve play will restart at 06:50 BST on Saturday.

The forecast is for the wind to die down a little overnight at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.

Organisers, in an attempt to finish the tournament on Sunday as planned, have decided to reduce the number of players who will make the cut.

Usually those who are in 65th place, or a share of 65th, go on to play the final two rounds.

Now though, only the top 50 and ties will survive - leading to the possibility that the final two rounds can be squeezed in on Sunday before darkness falls.

This may depend on precisely how many players survive the cut - if there are too many the event is likely to spill into Monday.

Karen Stupples, England's last winner of the title in 2004, was among the 48 players who started their second rounds. She described the conditions as "laughable".

Compatriot Felicity Johnson, the joint leader early in the first round, shot a nine on the par-four first and was eight over after three holes when the players were brought in shortly after 08:00 on Friday.

So Yeon Ryu, who shared the overnight lead with fellow South Korean Haeji Kang on two under, bogeyed the par five 10th, the only hole she managed as she started her second round on the back nine.

American Cristie Kerr saw her ball blown off the tee three times at the 12th.

The LGU statement added: "The competitors began their round in extremely adverse weather conditions and conditions subsequently worsened despite our belief that they would remain stable."

Scores being made null and void is not unprecedented in major golf. Seve Ballesteros won his third Open title at Royal Lytham on a Monday in 1988 after scores on the Saturday were wiped out because of bad weather.