Kristy McPherson seized the clubhouse lead on Sunday as darkness halted the second round of the LPGA Tour Championship and left the Player of the Year duel between Lorena Ochoa and Shin Jiyai in limbo.
McPherson fired a 67 for an eight-under total of 136, while on the course South Korean Shin was seven-under for the tournament with two holes remaining when play was halted.
Mexico’s Ochoa was six-under with one hole to play.
PHOTO: AFP
Shin is trying to become just the second layer, after LPGA legend Nancy Lopez in 1978, to sweep the money title, Rookie and Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy.
Heavy rain pummelled the Houstonian Country Club course on Friday and Saturday, forcing tournament officials to cut the season-ending event to 54 holes.
The second round was to resume yesterday morning followed immediately by the third.
Ochoa is seeking a fourth straight Player of the Year award, but she must finish no worse than third and hope Shin fails to finish in the top 10.
Cristie Kerr of the US also still has a mathematical chance of claiming Player of the Year. She was three-under after two rounds.
Shin and Ochoa are also neck and neck in the race for the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average.
Shin was four shots behind Ochoa after the first round, but picked up four birdies in a seven-hole stretch on Sunday to pull even with her.
Shin drained a birdie putt at the par-five 16th to edge ahead of her rival.
Ochoa began her second round 72 hours after capping her first-round 66 with a birdie.
Ochoa found a greenside bunker off the tee at the par-three 17th, just before the horn sounded to halt play. She elected to finish the hole, which she bogeyed.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng was in ninth place on four-under par after completing 17 holes with four birdies and three bogeys.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING, STAFF WRITER WITH CNA
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