LPGA

• Ochoa on top at suspended Canadian Open

  
  

  Ottawa, ON (Sports Network) - World No. 1 and defending champion Lorena Ochoa posted a four-under 68 on Friday to stay atop the leaderboard during the suspended second round of the Canadian Open.

  Ochoa, the overnight leader, finished two rounds at 10-under 134 and is two ahead at Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

  The second round was suspended due to inclement weather. Play was stopped for almost three hours before officials decided to suspend play for the day on Friday.

  Half of the field did not complete the second round and will be in position at 8:00 a.m. (et) Saturday morning. The cut will be made and the third round will take place.

  Katherine Hull fired a seven-under 65 to vault up to second place at eight- under 136. Yani Tseng is six-under on her round through 10 holes and is also eight-under par.

  Nicole Castrale shot a three-under 69 and is fourth at minus-seven, one shot better than Se Ri Pak, who managed a two-under 70 in Friday's second round.

  Annika Sorenstam was in second place after the first round, which led to the possibility of showdown between the game's two best players. Since the Swede announced she will leave competitive golf at the end of the year, it might be one of the last chances for such an epic showdown.

  Unfortunately, Sorenstam didn't keep up her end on Friday.

  She is only even through 10 holes and is sixth at minus-five.

  There is plenty of time for Sorenstam to make up the difference between her and Ochoa, although the defending champion continues to display the type of golf that has led to six wins so far this season on the LPGA Tour.

  Ochoa started at the par-five 10th hole and knocked her second shot short and right of the putting surface. She chipped to a foot and tapped in the birdie putt.

  She parred her next four holes, then found trouble at the par-three 15th. Ochoa hit a five-iron into a greenside bunker and only managed to get it to 10 feet.

  She missed the par putt and moved back to six-under par for the championship.

  After four pars around the turn, Ochoa began to catch fire. She hit a six-iron 20 feet past the stick at the second and rolled in the birdie putt to get to minus-seven.

  At the par-three fifth, Ochoa knocked a five-iron to 12 feet and converted the birdie effort.

  She made it two in a row when she drained a five-footer for birdie at the par-five sixth.

  Ochoa's final birdie of the round came at the par-three eighth. The Mexican star hit a seven-iron 12 feet short of the hole and ran home the birdie to reach double figures under par.

  "Today was a good day," said Ochoa, who, despite the six wins this year, has not hoisted a trophy since May. "It was a little bit slow on the front nine, and then I was able to make a few birdies on the back." H.J.

  Choi (67), Song-Hee Kim (71) and Christina Kim (67) are knotted in seventh place at four-under 140. Hee-Won Han is even through 12 holes of her second round and is four-under for the championship.

  Michelle Wie rebounded from a first-round 75 with a two-under 70 on Friday. She finished two rounds at one-over 145, which puts her in a tie for 35th place.

  This is Wie's last sponsor's exemption of the year and she needs a big week if she is to earn enough money to secure her card for 2009. If Wie doesn't make enough, it's off to Q School.

  "I'm not really thinking about that right now," acknowledged Wie. "If I play good, everything will take care of itself. That's what I'm going to focus on, just playing my round."

  08/15 19:26:17 ET