US TOUR: Torrential rain on an already-saturated Riviera Country Club course delayed the Nissan Open in Los Angeles yesterday.
And with only three hours of play possible on the second day most of the field looked set to complete their rounds today.
Luke Donald, on five under par, was still on that mark through nine holes, while Robert Allenby picked up three shots on the first nine to move to join him.
Also on that mark were Mike Weir, James Driscoll and Chad Campbell, who all picked up early birdies.
Only once in the tournament's 78-year history has there been a failure to complete 72 holes, when Tom Kite won over three rounds in 1993, but the forecast for the weekend and beyond was for more heavy downpours.
The event could continue on Monday, and US Tour rules even allow for a champion to be declared after 36 holes. He would receive the first prize of $864,000, but not the full, two-year tour exemption.
It is nine years since any tournament on the US Tour has been cut to two rounds, but the Los Angeles area has received nearly twice the usual amount of rainfall this winter and the first round was unable to be completed on the opening day, four players still being on the course when play was suspended because of darkness.
Perhaps England's Greg Owen and Ulsterman Graeme McDowell should have made that six; McDowell finished double bogey-bogey in the gloom for a 74, and Owen, third in the Pebble Beach Pro-am last week, closed with three successive bogeys for 75.
Overnight leader Brian Davis is enjoying a new lease of life after the crushing disappointing of missing out on a Ryder Cup debut last September.
The 30-year-old Londoner missed the halfway cut in the final qualifying event, taking a bogey six on the final hole, but in December won the US Tour school and has taken that boost of confidence into this season.
He is a double winner on the European Tour and this time last year was ranked just outside the world's top 50.
The son-in-law of former England goalkeeper Ray Clemence has since fallen to 88th,
CHALLENGE TOUR: Michael Hoey, third in the order of merit, and Colin Moriarty are safely through to the last 36 holes of the Panama Masters at the Summit Golf and Resort, Panama City.
Moriarty, after a second round 68, joins Hoey on level par 142 after the former British Amateur champion added a second round of 70.
American Kevin Haefner set the early pace with a 66 for a half-way total of eight-under-par 134.
David Higgins on 146 and Tim Rice on 154 were unlikely to make the cut which was expected to be at one over par.
SUNSHINE TOUR: Charl Schwartzel moved into position to win his second title on the Sunshine Tour this season with a three-under-par 69 for a 135 total at Woodhill, South Africa, yesterday to take the halfway lead at the PGA Championship.
Bobby Lincoln and Warren Abery both birdied the 14th, 15th and 16th holes en route to matching 68s that hoisted them into a share of second with overnight leader Jaco Van Zyl, who signed for a steady 71.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Des Smyth, playing his first Champions Tour event of the season, made the ideal start when he opened with a three-under-par 69 in the ACE Group Classic at Twin Eagles GC, Naples, Florida.
After a first nine of level par 36 in which birdies at the third and sixth were cancelled out by bogeys at the fifth and ninth, Smyth found the range on the back nine despite dropping a shot at the 10th. Four birdies in five holes from the 12th brought him home in 33 for his 69.
Mark McNulty, after a promising start, fell away on the back nine to finish on two-over-par 74. Mike McCullough, with a 66, leads by one from Hale Irwin.
