International tie at the top, but rain wins

Friday, Aug. 6, 2004 | 10:12 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

The Aussies are coming, the Aussies are coming.

Three foreign golfers top the first-round leaderboard at the weather-suspended International at Castle Rock, Colo., and two hail from Down Under. Rod Pampling leads with 15 points under the modified Stableford scoring system, just ahead of fellow Aussie Geoff Ogilvy, who is tied with Argentina's Josi Coceres at 14 points.

"Generally, you're going to get a late afternoon storm here," said Pampling, who is playing in his fourth International. "So if your first round goes into Friday it takes a lot out of you, especially with how difficult it is to walk around here with not much oxygen."

Two players with major championship trophies on their mantel, Josi Maria Olazabal and Tom Lehman, are tied for fourth with 11 points. Defending champion Davis Love III played a solid round and finished with 8 points.

A thunderstorm forced the tournament to be suspended at 3:03 p.m. MDT, and play never resumed.

The first round was to resume this morning. The opening tee times for the second round will be pushed back 2 1/2 hours.

Pampling and Ogilvy were among those fortunate to draw morning tee times Thursday. Their rounds were completed well before the skies turned angry. Weather problems have stopped play during at least one tournament round in all 19 Internationals.

Pampling capped off a bogey-free round with a 5-point eagle on the 492-yard 17th hole, reaching the par-5 green with a 6-iron second shot and then draining a 20-foot putt. Ogilvy, who ranks fourth among PGA tour players in average driving distance, scored 10 of his 14 points by making eagles.

"You've probably got to have two or three (eagles) in a week to be there at the end in this tournament," Ogilvy said. "Hopefully I've got a couple left in me."

U.S. Women's Open champion Meg Mallon, an Ohio State alum and a gallery favorite, had a run of three straight birdies and then birdied three of four in another stretch in a round of 66 that left her tied with defending champion Se Ri Pak.

Sorenstam was tied for third after shooting a 70 on the long Ullna course near Stockholm.

Emelie Svenningsson, another Swede, was alone in second with a 68.