Leader Sandra Gall plays chess during

rain delay in LPGA Tour event

What do LPGA players do during a rain delay? Comb their hair? Powder their noses? None of that if your name is Sandra Gal.
The Germany hunge loose over a game of chess and resumed later to shoot an -under 64 to lead Jiyai Shin by one stroke before darkness suspended first-round play at the Wegmans LPGA at Rochester, New York State on Thursday.
An afternoon storm packing hail, lightning and torrential rain interrupted the tournament for three hours at the tree-lined Locust Hill Country Club course in suburban Rochester. Poor light then ended play with 30 players unable to finish their round.
Becky Lucidi was in third place at six under through 15 holes. Kristy McPherson and Michele Redman were tied for fourth place with 5-under 67s.
Tiger Woods' 18-year-old niece, Cheyenne, carded a 75 in her pro tour debut, which came courtesy of a sponsor exemption.
The 24-year-old Gal, in her second year on tour, finished with a 15-foot birdie putt for a career-best round. Her best finish was a tie for fifth at last month's Corning Classic.
"This year I think I'm improving every month and, yeah, it's just a way up there," Gal said. "Sometimes it doesn't go quick and you got to take one step at a time."
Starting on the back nine, Gal ran up five consecutive birdies before play was suspended. She said she joked with her caddie, then played chess with her father, Jan.
"We're not done yet," she said. "I had a few checks there from him but I got out of it."
When play restarted, she two-putted for another birdie on No. 17 and sank an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 1.
"At first I thought, it's a pity we're stopping. But then I said, come on, it's just a new start, a fresh round, and see how low we can go."
"I just got something to eat and talked to a few people," said Shin, who picked up four birdies on her back nine. "I just felt really confident because my putter was very good today."
Shin picked up her first LPGA victory at the HSBC Women's Champions event in Singapore in early March and was runner-up behind Karrie Webb in the J Golf LPGA International three weeks later.
Tied for sixth at 68 were Diana D'Alessio, Morgan Pressel, Brandi Jackson, Haeji Kang and Stacy Lewis, who three-putted from 7 feet on No. 18.
Michelle Wiewas among a dozen players at 3-under.
Defending champion Ji Eun-hee bogeyed nine of the first 14 holes and carded an 8-over 80.
Lewis reached 6-under with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, then missed a tap-in for bogey on the last hole.
"To throw one away like that, it makes me pretty mad," she said.
Woods finished with a bogey but was still confident about making amends on Friday.
"I gotta prove myself out here," she said with a smile strikingly similar to her famous uncle's. "So tomorrow I'll have to come back out and do a little better. My goal is to make the cut."
The $2 million tournament drew 18 of the season's top 20 money winners, including No. 1 Cristie Kerr, who shot 75. Absent is Lorena Ochoa, the world's top-ranked player, and Suzann Pettersen, who was runner-up here last June.

FIRST-ROUND LEADERBOARD
(Several players still to complete round)
Par 72. 6365yd
1. Sandra Gal 64 (-8)
2. Jiyai Shin 65 (-7)
3. Becky Lucidi -6 after 15 holes
4. Kristy McPherson 67
4. Michele Redman 67
6. Brandi Jackson 68
6. Diana D'Alessio 68
6. Haeji Kang 68
6. Stacy Lewis 68
6. Morgan Pressel 68
11. Reilley Rankin 69
11. Karen Stupples 69
11. Mindy Kim 69
11. Se Ri Pak 69
11. Michelle Wie 69
11. Ji Young Oh 69
11. Helen Alfredsson 69
11. Mika Miyazato 69
11. Na Yeon Choi 69
11. Amy Yang 69
11. Jennifer Rosales -3 after 17
22. Anna Grzebien 70
22. Amanda Blumenherst 70
22. Hye Jung Choi 70
22. Wendy Ward 70
22. Brittany Lincicome 70
22. Pat Hurst 70
22. Laura Diaz 70
22. Minea Blomqvist 70
22. Jeehae Lee -2 after 17
22. Beth Bader -2 after 17
22. Kris Tschetter -2 after 15
22. M.J. Hur -3 after 13
22. Sarah Kemp -2 after 13
22. Alena Sharp -2 after 14
Selected scores:
36. Becky Morgan 71
55. Anna Nordqvist 72
69. Paula Creamer
69. Janice Moodie -1 after 14
95. Johanna (Head) Mundy 74