Rain delay halts Hur and Kerr

Heavy rain suspended play in Illinois for four hours before the round was halted with 46 players still on the course. The round was scheduled to resume yesterday, with further rain expected.

When play ended second-round leader MJ Hur and Cristie Kerr topped the leaderboard at 13 under. Amy Yang, playing in the final group with Hur, and Anna Nordqvist are a shot back.

Morgan Pressel, who was through 16 holes when play was stopped, is tied with Alena Sharp and Gwladys Nocera at 11 under.

Juli Inkster, a 31-time winner on the tour, blazed through the front nine in six-under-par 30, but two bogeys and a birdie on the back nine left her at 10 under with three holes to go in her third round.

Hur, a 20-year-old from South Korea, remained calm despite the lengthy delay.

"Everyone is the same," she said. "It doesn't matter. There's another storm coming tomorrow I heard, but then hopefully sunshine."

Last year's money leader on the Duramed Futures Tour, Hur said she is simply content to enjoy her first lead in an LPGA event. "I feel every day the same," she added. "This is serious, but I try to just try to enjoy it."

Kerr, a veteran from Florida, could have been especially frustrated when the horn blared. She had just birdied the par-4 fourth hole and was staring at a short putt for birdie on the fifth when the round was postponed. However, she said: "You take it in your stride. I've been out here 14 years now so I've seen my share of delays. You just have to keep moving and don't let the delay stop the momentum."

Michelle Wie and Natalie Gulbis were both even on the day and sit seven shots back at six under. Wie had completed 11 holes and Gulbis 10.

A highlight of the curtailed round came when Mena Harigae holed-in-one at the par-3 second hole, firing a 7-iron 162 yards and into the cup.

The last time a round in this event was rained out was 2003, when heavy rains forced the cancellation of the fourth round. Third-round leader Candie Kung was declared the champion that year.