Bay Hill Is Latest Event to Be Disrupted by Rain

Rain halted play in the Bay Hill Invitational after only three hours Thursday, causing the sixth weather-related suspension in 12 events on the PGA Tour this year.

“We’re getting used to it,” said Sergio Garcia, who was three under par through eight holes when play was halted after nearly 2 inches of rain saturated Bay Hill Club & Lodge at Orlando, Fla.

Joe Ogilvie, who lost in a three-man playoff at the Honda Classic last week, also was at three under through 13 holes, the most anyone played. The first round was scheduled to resume at 7:15 a.m. EST today.

Tiger Woods was two under through eight holes.

Ernie Els bogeyed his first two holes and was one over. Retief Goosen hit a tee shot out of bounds on No. 4 and was at two over.

The delay came at a perfect time for Els.

The Big Easy is a little fatigued, having spent the last two weeks winning in the Middle East. But Els also said he was having a problem with his hip flexor, causing pain as he started his downswing.

“It must have been all that walking in the sand,” he said of his victories in the Dubai Desert Classic and the Qatar Masters. “It was very sore. If I can only feel 40% of the pain, I’ll be fine.”

Vijay Singh was among the late starters, so he won’t even hit his first shot until mid-morning, and probably will play at least 27 holes if the weather forecast is accurate.

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Defending champion Annika Sorenstam shot a six-under 66 to finish a stroke behind first-round leaders Lorena Ochoa and Siew-Ai Lim in the Safeway International in Superstition Mountain, Ariz.

Meanwhile, Michelle Wie was in danger of missing the cut after a 73.

Sorenstam won her 57th LPGA Tour title two weeks ago in Mexico in her season debut, her third straight victory dating to last year. The 15-year-old Wie is coming off a second-place tie in the season-opening SBS Open in Hawaii.

Playing in the first group to tee off on the back nine, Wie lost her touch in the chilly morning air, dropping two strokes on the par-five 18th.