HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — As a rookie playing in the third round of the LPGA Championship, Anna Nordqvist probably figured the only problem she might encounter was a little bit of nervousness.

That wasn't an issue yesterday. Neither was a lengthy rain delay or fading daylight. Nothing, it seems, is too much for this cool Swede to handle.

Nordqvist took a one-shot lead over Lindsey Wright by making a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 15 after the horn halted play because of darkness. The players were allowed to finish the hole, and the 22-year-old Nordqvist took advantage by moving to 10 under.

"Obviously finishing with the birdie brings me some good momentum for (today)," Nordqvist said.

Wright — one of eight players who failed to finish — also played 15 holes. Instead of returning to the Bulle Rock course today at her leisure, Wright must finish her round at 7:30 a.m.

"Obviously there's a disadvantage not finishing today. I mean, I would love to be sleeping in," she said. "But it's going to be a big day, regardless."

For Nordqvist, too.

"I'll go home and eat some dinner and go to bed and be up early and play those holes," she said. "Then I'll relax before I tee it up again."

Instead of pacing during the rain delay, Nordqvist chatted with her buddies.

"I went to the clubhouse and sat there with a few of my friends," she said.

Honolulu's Michelle Wie made a hole-in-one on the par-3, 152-yard seventh hole yesterday, using an 8-iron. The Punahou School alum and Stanford sophomore, finished the round with a 1-over 73, for a three-day total of 217.

Na Yeon Choi was about to hit her tee shot on 18 when play was suspended. She threw her ball away in disgust and stormed off the course at 8 under (3 under for the round).

Jin Young Pak completed her 69 after the horn to come in at 7 under.

Hours earlier, rain stopped play for 2 hours, 19 minutes with 22 players left on the course. Nordqvist finished nine holes at 10 under, and Wright completed 10 holes at 9 under.

"I just sat there and talked to random people, not really doing anything," Wright said. "It went kind of quick."

Wright returned to birdie No. 11, and the Australian gained the lead when Nordqvist bogeyed the same hole. But a bogey on 13 dropped Wright into a tie.

"It comes down to Sunday every week," she said.

PGA

MICKELSON 10 BACK IN ST. JUDE

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The encouragement came at Phil Mickelson as he spent nearly 30 minutes signing autographs for fans after a steamy day that featured 21 holes.

"We're praying for you," one fan offered.

"We're praying for your wife," another said.

And Mickelson, his eyes red, kept signing even as he moved away from a shady tree to take care of people waiting patiently in the baking sun. He didn't escape to the air-conditioned clubhouse until everyone still nearby was satisfied.

It's nothing new for Mickelson, even after a long day where his putter remained balky in shooting a 2-under 68 yesterday. That put him 10 strokes behind Brian Gay — who can punch his ticket to Bethpage Black and the U.S. Open if he finishes off a wire-to-wire victory today in the St. Jude Classic.

Gay shot a second consecutive 4-under 66 to keep the lead by a stroke, this time over Bryce Molder (65) after the third round at TPC Southwind.

But it's Mickelson almost everyone here is following, the world's No. 2 drawing the biggest crowds in only his second visit to TPC Southwind. With this his first event since announcing wife Amy's diagnosis of breast cancer, those fans seem to be trying to will Mickelson to birdies that might distract him from what the couple is dealing with, if even for a moment.

"It's pretty flattering. The people here have been terrific," Mickelson said.

"I haven't putted well the first three days. I feel like I've struck the ball well but have not been able to get it in the hole and shoot a number, a good low number and mostly because of the putter," Mickelson said. "I'll spend sometime on that in the next few days and should be able to get it ironed out for next week."

Gay came into this event among seven who had a chance to earn a trip to Bethpage Black with a win. The man who won Hilton Head by 10 strokes in April insists that wasn't his goal here. He expected to be off next week after he missed qualifying by three strokes and wasn't thinking about the Open.

"Not till you mention it. Not really. Not when I'm out there, I don't think about it. I mean it's a major. I'd love to play in it. I expected to be off next week ... I've got enough work to do here to not have to worry about that. Nothing I need to think about," Gay said.

Gay was at 14-under 196. Robert Allenby (68) was alone in third at 11 under, Paul Goydos (64) was 10 under, and Woody Austin (68), Heath Slocum (67) and Vaughn Taylor (69) were 9 under.