By Compiled from Times wires
Published June 8, 2003
WILMINGTON, Del. - Annika Sorenstam played three holes, made one bogey, lost her two-stroke lead in the LPGA Championship and retreated to her hotel room to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A steady rain that saturated DuPont Country Club suspended the third round and made it a short day at the office for Sorenstam, although one thing was clear.
The rest of this major championship will take some work.
Sorenstam was to return this morning tied for the lead with Hee-Won Han at 7 under par and facing 33 holes on a waterlogged course.
Rain continued to pound DuPont throughout Saturday afternoon, and while tournament officials were hopeful of getting in 72 holes, there was no guarantee.
"Our focus is to play as much golf as we can (today) with the goal of finishing 72 holes by dark," said Barb Trammell, vice president of tour operations for the LPGA Tour.
Then again, she said it would be "no small miracle" to get the course ready by 7:30 a.m., when the third round is scheduled to resume. Finishing on Monday was a possibility if the leaders only had a few holes left, although Trammell wouldn't commit to that.
SORENSTAM SISTER HEROICS: The sister of Annika Sorenstam missed the cut in the LPGA Championship, yet might have turned in the top performance of the week.
Charlotta Sorenstam saved Donna Caponi from choking on an apple.
"In my eyes, Charlotta is a hero," said Caponi, a member of the LPGA Hall of Fame who was working for the Golf Channel at DuPont Country Club.
Caponi was eating an apple Friday when a piece got stuck in her throat and she couldn't breathe. Sorenstam rushed to the rescue, popping her on the back and performing the Heimlich maneuver until the apple dislodged.
"I couldn't just stand there and let her choke," Sorenstam said.
The Swede said she choked on a piece of candy as a child. She said her mother picked her up by her feet, held her upside down and hit her back until the candy popped out.
"I though about doing that to Donna, but don't think I could pick her up like that," Sorenstam said.
"I didn't know how much I had helped her at the time, but it kind of sunk in later in the day during my round, so it was a nice feeling," Sorenstam said.
CAPITAL OPEN: From the standing pools on the first tee box to the overflowing torrent by the No. 10 fairway, the already saturated Potomac, Md., course took another pounding from nature, wiping out a full day of PGA play. The third round was rescheduled for 10:45 a.m. today, with the final round starting at 7:30 a.m. Monday. Rory Sabbatini had a two-shot lead over David Duval, Notah Begay, Tom Gillis and Niclas Fasth.
SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Seiji Ebihara moved out to a two-stroke lead over Gil Morgan, Allen Doyle and John Jacobs before the third round in Newtown Square, Pa., was suspended because of rain. Ebihara, who started the day two strokes behind second-round leaders Doyle and Morgan, was 2 under through five holes. Morgan and Doyle were 2 over through five, and Jacobs was 1 over through five. Craig Stadler was penalized two strokes after missing his tee time. He was scheduled to tee off at 10:05 a.m., but showed up 2 minutes, 20 seconds late.
BRITISH MASTERS: Greg Owen opened a four-stroke lead after three rounds, and Ian Poulter moved into contention with a 63 that matched a course record in Meridien, England. Owen shot 5-under 67 and was at 13-under 203.
