Rosales was looking forward to building on her lead Friday. Instead, she did laundry as LPGA officials hoped the gray skies that continued to spit a light rain would allow DuPont Country Club to be ready for a 54-hole weekend marathon.
The second round was to resume today with the same groups and same tee times. The cut will remain the top 70 and ties, and they will try to play 36 holes tomorrow.
"My hope is we have a very small cut, and the players play quickly," tournament director Alice Miller said.
The LPGA Tour was criticized in 1996 when it shortened the McDonald's LPGA Championship to 54 holes because of rain. It was the only time an LPGA major has not gone 72 holes.
"We regret that situation," said Barb Trammel, vice president of tournament operations for the LPGA Tour. "We do have an opportunity to complete 72 holes by Sunday at dark. And that's our first objective."
This is the fourth consecutive year rain has interrupted the LPGA Championship, and the second straight year the players face a long final round. A year ago, most of the third round was washed out by rain and Annika Sorenstam had to play 34 holes Sunday -- one in a playoff -- before winning.
"It will get to you," Rosales said. "The last time I played 36 holes was the US Open qualifier three years ago. It's tough. At least we get to put in 72 holes, which is good in a major tournament."
Rosales, who opened with a 5-under 66, showed up at the course and noticed no one was on the practice range. She learned of the delay and headed back to her room.
"I just did my laundry," she said in a telephone interview. "I'm going to have lunch and watch a movie."
She held a one-shot lead over Karen Stupples, Gloria Park and Chiharu Yamaguchi.
Sorenstam and Grace Park were among those at 68, while two-time LPGA champion Pak was another shot behind.
DuPont will go through a major renovation after the tournament, and club officials are hopeful it will lead to better drainage on the course. Only 1.1 inches of rain fell overnight, and it was so quiet that ``most of us slept through it,'' LPGA rules official Janet Lindsay said.
The start of the second round was delayed one hour, then officials announced a three-hour delay before realizing there was no way to get the course ready.
"The bunker crews had already been out numerous times to try to pump bunkers," Lindsay said. "Just as they would get a bunker prepped, the rain would accumulate again and they would have to start over."
The LPGA Championship will go to Monday if necessary to complete 72 holes, but Trammell says it should end today.



