LPGA Reigns Handily

Leading Japan, 9-3, going into Sunday’s final round, the United States didn’t need a comeback to win the Nichirei International at Narita, Japan.

Behind strong play from Liselotte Neumann and LPGA rookie of the year Kim Mi-Hyun, the United States won the event for the 15th consecutive year, 15 1/2-8 1/2.

Neumann and Kim each shot three-under-par 69 for two of the six wins by the LPGA, which earned $450,000 for the victory in the $702,000 tournament.

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David Duval, who had said earlier he might skip this week’s world stroke play championship at Valderrama, Spain, if he didn’t have a chance to win the 1999 PGA Tour money title, failed to enter by Friday’s deadline. Tiger Woods has mathematically clinched the money title.

“I’ve always said golf was not my first priority and I’ve always felt I had my priorities in the right order and what happened this week [Stewart’s death] confirmed my priorities,” Duval said.

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Play at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic was suspended after nearly two inches of rain fell at Madison, Miss., and the completion of the already shortened tournament was pushed back to today. The tournament already had been shortened to 54 holes for the memorial service of U.S. Open champion Payne Stewart.

Only 42 of the 74 players who made the 36-hole cut had teed off Sunday before a 3 1/2-hour rain delay that turned into a suspension of play. None of the players had finished their third round.

Chris DiMarco and Brian Henninger were the co-leaders after two rounds at 11-under 133. They held a three-stroke lead over Russ Cochran and Perry Moss.

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Spain’s Miguel Jimenez shot a seven-under 65 and won the $1.6-million Volvo Masters at Jerez, Spain. Jimenez had eight birdies overall, finishing at 19-under 269, two strokes ahead of three players.