SUNNINGDALE, England – Annika Sorenstam’s surge to the top of the leaderboard at the Women’s British Open stopped suddenly on the back nine.

The defending champion moved within two strokes of the lead with three early birdies Friday, but she faltered late, with two bogeys and zero birdies in the second half of her round. Sorenstam settled for a 1-under 71 that left her tied for fifth at 5-under 139, four strokes behind leader Karen Stupples.

“I missed fairways, I missed greens,” Sorenstam said. “Luckily, I chipped really well. I made a good bunker shot at the last and made some good putts. But it was the long game, I couldn’t keep it in play.

Sorenstam is trying to join Mickey Wright as the only players to defend titles in all four majors.

Stupples had another bogey-free round, this time a 2-under 70 that mover her to 9-under 135. Beth Daniel (69) and South Korea’s Jeong Jang (68) and Seol-An Jeon (69) are tied for second at 6-under 138.

Stupples’ only regret was missed opportunities.

With the sun shining on Sunningdale’s Old Course and little wind to trouble the early starters, Stupples fired a 7-wood to the back of the green at the first and made a two-putt birdie. She rolled in a “perfect” 40-foot birdie putt at No. 17 after coming up short with her second shot.

She believes she should have been further ahead of the field.

“It was a bit frustrating at times because I had a couple of opportunities, one on 9 and one on 10, to make birdie,” Stupples said. “I felt like I hit really good putts, but they just didn’t go in the hole.

“The one on 10 was like a dagger to my heart because it totally did a horseshoe round the hole.”

Singh among trio on top at Buick Open

GRAND BLANC, Mich.- Vijay Singh kept a share of the lead at the Buick Open on Friday and there were plenty of big names in contention after two rounds.

Singh, the first-round leader, Jim Furyk and Billy Andrade were tied for the lead at 11 under.

John Daly matched his best round of the year with a 64 and was tied with three others one stroke behind the leaders. Tiger Woods had a 4-under 68 and was among four others another shot back.

The cut was 4 under, matching the low for the season on the PGA Tour.

Singh, who had a 70 Friday, was one of the few on the leaderboard unable to take advantage of soggy conditions that made Warwick Hills even more susceptible to low scores.

Furyk, playing in his fourth tournament since having wrist surgery in March, has a legitimate shot at being the first to repeat at the Buick Open since Tony Lema in 1965.

He had a second-round 67, hitting every fairway for the second straight day, and has been in the 60s in 14 of his last 16 rounds at Warwick Hills.

Rain postpones second round of U.S. Senior Open

ST. LOUIS – Not long after the second round of the U.S. Senior Open was postponed due to unplayable conditions, the USGA received a flood of criticism over its plan to complete the championship with 36 holes on Sunday.

A steady downpour that started Thursday night and continued into midday Friday dumped about 3 inches of rain on Bellerive Country Club, leaving the course swamped.

USGA Championship Committee chairman Walter Driver said one hole became an “island” because of the rain, and another was almost completely under water.

The second round is set for Saturday, and those who make the cut are scheduled to play the final two rounds on Sunday, when the forecast calls for temperatures reaching as high as 90.

Donald breaks course record in Sweden

LODDEKOPINGE, Sweden – England’s Luke Donald shot a course-record 7-under 65 Friday to take a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Scandinavian Masters. Donald’s bogey-free round at Barseback Golf and Country Club eclipsed the previous record of 66, posted by Sweden’s Carl Pettersson.