McPherson takes the lead in LPGA Tour Championship

McPherson was 8 under, one shot ahead of Jiyai Shin ─ the South Korean star who had two holes to play. Lorena Ochoa, dueling with Shin for the player of the year and scoring titles, was two strokes back in a share of third with one hole to play.

Players will resume the second round Monday morning. The top 70 will immediately begin the final round. For Ochoa to earn her fourth consecutive player of the year honor, she must win or finish no worse than third and then hope Shin finishes out of the top 10. The two are also decimal points apart in the race for the Vare Trophy, awarded for the season's lowest scoring average, coming down to the final day of the LPGA Tour season.

Shin was four shots behind Ochoa after the first round, but picked up four birdies in a seven-hole stretch on Sunday to move equal. Shin is trying to become the first player since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to sweep the money title, rookie and player of the year titles and the Vare Trophy.

Ochoa hit the first shot of her second round a full 72 hours after sinking a 15-foot birdie to wrap up a first-round 66 on Thursday. She dropped a shot on her front nine, then birdied 14 and 16 to move to 7 under.

Ochoa hit a greenside bunker with her tee shot to the par-3 17th hole, just before the horn sounded. She decided to finish, took a bogey and then headed straight to the practice green.

The 28-year-old McPherson, seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, picked up five birdies without a bogey in her second round after a 69 on Thursday. Neither of her rounds have been interrupted by the delays.

As the rain lingered over the weekend, players raised concerns about the availability of flights leaving Houston with Thanksgiving approaching. Michelle Wie dropped out on Thursday because of a sprained left ankle after shooting a 72, and five others withdrew between Friday and Sunday.

Some of the remaining players grumbled about the size of the field entered in the season-ending event. A total of 120 players started.

Cristie Kerr, who still has a mathematical chance to win the player of the year title, thought the event should've been more exclusive from the beginning.

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