Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009
GOLF ROUNDUP: Rain limits play during second round of LPGA Tour Championship
RICHMOND, Texas — Sophie Gustafson has moved within two shots of leader Lorena Ochoa at the weather-delayed LPGA Tour Championship.
Rains swamped the Houstonian Golf and Country Club before dawn Friday and the start of the second round was pushed back six hours. The tournament resumed at 1 p.m., but light rain started falling about two hours later and play was halted at 5:05 p.m. with darkness approaching.
Ochoa didn’t play Friday after shooting a 6-under 66 early Thursday. She will start her second round at daybreak today.
Gustafson shot a 70 in the first round, then played 11 holes and moved to 4 under on Friday when play was halted.
The weekend forecast is mostly clear and tournament officials are racing to finish the season-ending event on Sunday.
Westwood leads at Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Lee Westwood shot a 3-under 69 Friday to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Dubai World Championship, strengthening his chance of winning the European money title.
The English golfer could pick up two big prizes on Sunday. If he wins the last tournament of the European Tour season, he will receive $1.25 million in prize money — plus a $1.5 million bonus for winning the Race to Dubai money prize.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the leader of the money race going into the tournament, also shot a 69. He was one of six players tied for second place at 7 under, two shots behind Westwood. The others are Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, England’s Ross McGowan, Australia’s Robert Allenby, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas.
Westwood is confident of winning both prizes.
“I am as much in control of my game as I have been for a long time,” he said after a round that began with two birdies on the Earth Course. “I feel very calm and happy with myself. All parts of my game feel solid and I enjoy times like this. I know that if I play as good as I can play I can win this tournament.”
Westwood said he took the advice of his caddy, Bill Foster, and stopped looking at the leaderboard during his round.
“I have always been a leaderboard watcher,” he said. “But this week we decided to try something different. So we are not looking.”
McIlroy had gone to the top of the leaderboard, reaching 9 under with an eagle at the par-5 seventh hole. He covered the front nine in 31 shots. But he slipped backed by missing two putts from inside 3 feet to save par on the 14th and 15th greens.
Rains swamped the Houstonian Golf and Country Club before dawn Friday and the start of the second round was pushed back six hours. The tournament resumed at 1 p.m., but light rain started falling about two hours later and play was halted at 5:05 p.m. with darkness approaching.
Ochoa didn’t play Friday after shooting a 6-under 66 early Thursday. She will start her second round at daybreak today.
Gustafson shot a 70 in the first round, then played 11 holes and moved to 4 under on Friday when play was halted.
The weekend forecast is mostly clear and tournament officials are racing to finish the season-ending event on Sunday.
Westwood leads at Dubai
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Lee Westwood shot a 3-under 69 Friday to take a two-stroke lead after the second round of the Dubai World Championship, strengthening his chance of winning the European money title.
The English golfer could pick up two big prizes on Sunday. If he wins the last tournament of the European Tour season, he will receive $1.25 million in prize money — plus a $1.5 million bonus for winning the Race to Dubai money prize.
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, the leader of the money race going into the tournament, also shot a 69. He was one of six players tied for second place at 7 under, two shots behind Westwood. The others are Ireland’s Padraig Harrington, England’s Ross McGowan, Australia’s Robert Allenby, South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen and Colombia’s Camilo Villegas.
Westwood is confident of winning both prizes.
“I am as much in control of my game as I have been for a long time,” he said after a round that began with two birdies on the Earth Course. “I feel very calm and happy with myself. All parts of my game feel solid and I enjoy times like this. I know that if I play as good as I can play I can win this tournament.”
Westwood said he took the advice of his caddy, Bill Foster, and stopped looking at the leaderboard during his round.
“I have always been a leaderboard watcher,” he said. “But this week we decided to try something different. So we are not looking.”
McIlroy had gone to the top of the leaderboard, reaching 9 under with an eagle at the par-5 seventh hole. He covered the front nine in 31 shots. But he slipped backed by missing two putts from inside 3 feet to save par on the 14th and 15th greens.
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