GOLF ROUNDUP : Tournament Has No Insurance Against Rain

PGA Tour and tournament officials postponed the $1-million Independent Insurance Agent Open Friday to Oct. 23-26 after steady rain had washed out the first two rounds at The Woodlands, Tex.

It was the first PGA Tour event postponed since the 1966 Houston Open that was rescheduled in November and won by Arnold Palmer.

“We had every base covered except the weather,” Houston Golf Assn. executive director Duke Butler said. “Even the weather is a fluke. We’ve done a 20-year study of the weather during this week, and this kind of rain just doesn’t happen.”

Sunday’s nationally televised final round will be replaced by a scramble with 16 three-man teams competing for $100,000.

In the previous five years, the tournament was delayed once by the weather. In 1981, Ron Streck was declared the winner after 54 holes when rain canceled Sunday’s final round.

Phil Rodgers, still seeking his first victory on the Senior PGA Tour, shot a five-under-par 67 for a six-stroke lead over five players after two rounds of the $800,000 Tradition tournament at Scottsdale, Ariz.

Rodgers, who set a record with a 65 Thursday on the 6,864-yard Cochise course at Desert Mountain, was at 12-under-par 132 at the halfway mark.

The tournament winner will get $120,000, or about half as much as Rodgers, 53, has earned in four years with the seniors. His best finish is a tie for fourth place last year at Grand Traverse, Mich.

“There’s a lot of good players behind me who can play like I have for the last two days,” Rodgers said. “I’m not backing off. Hopefully, I’m going to make them beat me. That’s my goal anyway. I’m not going to conserve anything.”

George Archer, Jim Colbert, Ben Smith, Jim Dent and Chi Chi Rodriguez were at 138. Archer, Rodriguez, Smith and Dent all shot 69 after beginning the round four shots behind Rodgers. Colbert had a 68.

“There’s just one player too many in the field--Phil Rodgers,” Rodriguez said. “The way Phil’s playing, he’s going to be tough to catch.”

Bob Charles had the day’s best round, a 66, in 96-degree weather but was well off Rodgers’ pace with a four-over 140 total.

Defending champion Jack Nicklaus, making his Seniors season debut on a course he designed, also shot 73 after a 71 Thursday.

Lee Trevino struggled to another 75 with four consecutive bogeys on the back nine and was out of contention at 150.

Tracy Kerdyk shot a career-best six-under-par 66 to catch Chris Johnson for a share of the second-round lead of a $350,000 LPGA tournament at Tucson.

Kerdyk, 25, a non-winner since joining the LPGA Tour in 1988, made four consecutive birdies en route to a 36-hole total of 136.

Johnson, a co-leader after Thursday’s opening round, had four birdies over six holes and carded a 69 over the 6,199-yard North course of Randolph Park.

Joan Pitcock and Michelle McGann, who are also seeking their first career victories, both shot 68 and were at 137. Myra Blackwelder was at 138.