Rain wipes out round, Sybase Classic reduced to 54-hole event

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CLIFTON, N.J. (AP) -- Steady rain saturated three greens and flooded a couple of bunkers Friday, forcing the U.S. LPGA Tour to cancel Friday's round of the Sybase Classic.

The weather created conditions that would have forced players to compete on two very different courses if the round at the Upper Montclair Country Club had been suspended until Saturday.

Instead, tournament officials wiped out play, rescheduled the second round to Saturday and reduced the $2 million tournament from 72 holes to 54.

"You never want to wash out a round," said Sue Witters, the tour's director of tournament competitions. "That's the last thing we want to do. But the flip side of that is you don't want to play in completely different conditions."

Rachel Hetherington, who was 1 under through seven holes Friday and sharing the lead before play was halted at 11:02 a.m., understood that after the first washout on tour since the 2005 Michelob Ultra Open.

"When you're under par, you don't want it erased and when you're over, you do want it erased," said Hetherington, who shared the first-round lead Thursday with Annika Sorenstam and Kim Song-hee. "It's the same for everybody, just kind of have to clean the slate and start over tomorrow."

Scotland's Catriona Matthew also was hurt when the round was washed out. She was 2 under and was tied with Hetherington at 6 under.

With all scores from Friday erased, Sorenstam, Kim and Hetherington will resume sharing the lead Saturday at 5 under, one stroke ahead of six others.

The last time a U.S. women's tour event was reduced to 54 holes was in the 2006 Sybase Classic at the Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle. New York. Lorena Ochoa won that event and defended her title last year when the event moved to Upper Montclair.

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