Heavy rains suspend play at Nissan Open

LOS ANGELES -- Heavy rain that flooded bunkers and covered the greens with thousands of worms forced officials to cancel golf Saturday in the Nissan Open, raising the possibility of the PGA Tour's first 36-hole event in nearly nine years.

Some rain is in the forecast today, with more heavy showers expected Monday. The Match Play Championship, a $7.5 million World Golf Championship, is scheduled to start Wednesday down the coast at La Costa.

Brian Davis of England has not hit a shot since he opened with a 65 for the first-round lead on Thursday. Only half the 144-man field completed the second round Friday, with Chad Campbell at 9-under 133 and leading Robert Allenby by three shots.

None of the others made it even halfway through the round Friday when play was suspended by darkness. They are to return this morning to resume -- or in the case of Davis, begin -- the second round.

Kevin Sutherland birdied two of his first four holes and was at 6 under.

Tiger Woods can't buy a break at Riviera. He finally got off to a good start in his hometown PGA Tour event -- the only tour event he has played at least four times without winning -- and it might not even count. Woods was at 5 under for the tournament with 14 holes left in his second round.

PGA Tour policy states that if a tournament is only 36 holes, the winner gets $864,000 toward the money list, but it would not count as an official victory. That means the winner would not get a two-year exemption on tour, or a spot in the winners-only field at Kapalua next year.

Champions Tour

Mike McCullough shot a 3-under 69 to take a two-stroke lead over Hale Irwin and Mark James in The ACE Group Classic in Naples, Fla.

The 59-year-old McCullough, seeking his third Champions Tour victory, had a 9-under 135 total on the TwinEagles course. Irwin, the 50-and-over tour's career victory leader with 41, shot a 70. James had a 68.

Curtis Strange, playing his first Champions Tour event, followed his opening 74 with a 71. The two-time U.S. Open champion was tied for 32nd, 10 strokes back.

European PGA Tour

Defending champion Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand shot a 5-under 67 to take a six-stroke lead in the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Thongchai's 19-under 197 total matched the second-lowest 54-hole mark in Asian golf history. India's Jyoti Randhawa (65) was second at 13 under on the Saujana course.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington (67), Sweden's Henrik Stenson (71), Thailand's Prom Meesawat (71) were 12 under.

Nationwide Tour

Australia's Steve Bowditch shot an even-par 72 to take a three-stroke lead over long-hitting American Brent Schwarzrock after the third round of the Jacob's Creek Open in Adelaide, Australia.

Bowditch had a 10-under 134 total at Royal Adelaide in the event co-sanctioned by the Nationwide Tour and Australasian circuit. Schwarzrock shot a 70.