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HOUSTON, Texas: Kristy McPherson seized the clubhouse lead as darkness halted the second round of the LPGA Tour Championship and left the Player of the Year duel between Lorena Ochoa and Jiyai Shin 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.
Shin is trying to become just the second player, after LPGA legend Nancy Lopez in 1978, to sweep the money title, Rookie and Player of the Year and the Vare Trophy.
"I have a good shot at it," Shin said. "It's going to be very close. It (Monday) will be the most important day of my life."
Heavy rain pummelled the Houstonian Country Club course on Friday and Saturday, forcing tournament officials to cut the season-ending event to 54 holes.
Players were allowed to lift, clean and place on Sunday on the sodden fairways.
The second round was to resume Monday morning, and after a 36-hole cut to the top 70 and ties the third round was to follow immediately.
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.
American Cristie Kerr 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.
"Tomorrow, everything will be answered," Ochoa said. "I am very excited, yes."
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, bogeyed and went to the practice green.
With so much riding on the tournament, officials were reluctant to shorten it to 54 holes. But with the rain lingering and the US Thanksgiving holiday coming up, they decided on Saturday that they couldn't be sure of getting 72 holes in by Monday.
Kerr was among players who thought the championship field should have been smaller than the 120 starters, which would have made the logistics a little easier.
"Your season-ending tournament should be your creme de la creme," Kerr said. "They said there are tour cards to keep, there are awards to give out. You shouldn't be worrying about keeping tour cards at this point in the year, with one tournament. Nothing against those people, I wish them well. But that's kind of the way it is."
- AFP/so
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