Delasin trails leaders by 7 in LPGA tilt

Dorothy Delasin failed to take advantage of a windless early morning flight and carded a 73, dropping seven strokes off joint leaders Cindy Figg-Currier and Rachel Hetherington Thursday (Friday in Manila) at the start of the Longs Drugs Challenge at the Twelve Bridges Golf Club in Lincoln, California.

The 19-year-old Delasin, trying to snap three consecutive missed cut stints in the LPGA Tour, matched par 36 at the backside of the 6,388-yard layout rendered wet by prior night's rain to salvage that one-over-par card for joint 34th place with 15 others who included veteran Dottie Pepper.

The Daly City-based Fil-Am, who had to skip last month's Standard Ping Register Championship to work on her floundering game, hopes to finally advance to the final 36 holes of this 72-hole championship which stakes $105,000 to the winner with a respectable score Friday.

She tees off at 8 a.m., also with Korean Jeong Jang (75) and Ashli Bunch of Tennessee (77), whom she outshot in the first round.

Unlike Delasin, Figg-Currier and Hetherington cashed in on their early tee times and grabbed a share of the lead with identical 66s they made in calm winds.

Figg-Currier, a 17-year veteran whose lone tour title came in 1977, was wide awake for the morning start and gunned down seven birdies against a bogey on No. 17 for a 32-34 round.

Hetherington, who won twice last year but has to finish in the top three this year, played a bogey-free round of 32-34.

Also helped by the conditions was Michelle Bell, who fired a 67 and is alone in third place while Jill McGill fired a 69 to tow four other players in fourth.

Defending champion Juli Inkster and Korean star Se Ri Pak both fired 70s while Annika Sorenstam rallied with an eagle on the par-5 12th to turn in a 71.