The completion of the Booz Allen Classic — and Ben Curtis' long-awaited first victory since the 2003 British Open — was postponed for yet another day, setting up the PGA Tour's first Tuesday finish in 26 years and making for a cruel, exasperating end to a tournament that seemed doomed from the start.

Curtis was on the 17th green yesterday with a seven-stroke lead when play was stopped for the day by the latest of several menacing thunderstorms. If it weren't for Curtis' stellar play — he's at 22 under and on pace to set a tournament record — the only thing anyone would remember about the tournament is that it took six days to complete, with weather wreaking havoc with the schedule Saturday, Sunday and yesterday in Potomac, Md.

The tournament was scheduled to resume today, even though more rain is forecast. Not since the 1980 Tucson Open has the tour finished on a Tuesday.

U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN COURSE HIT HARD BY RAIN

The course on which the U.S. Women's Open is scheduled to be played has suffered "major damage" from a recent downpour and more rain is expected, according to NBC and Golf Channel commentator Mark Rolfing.

Four Hawai'i golfers — Michelle Wie, Stephanie Kono, Kimberly Kim and Ayaka Kaneko — are in the field for the event at Newport Country Club in Newport, R.I.

The 72-hole tournament is scheduled to start Thursday, weather permitting.

"The weather report is not good for the week," Rolfing said. "It's supposed to rain Wednesday through Saturday."

According to Rolfing, 3 inches of rain fell in the past 36 hours, flooding the TV compound.

Rolfing said officials "did not allow the public out there (on the course) and barely allowed the players to practice."

The Hawai'i golfers are scheduled to tee off early Thursday (Hawai'i time): Wie is at 1:55 a.m.; Kim, at 3:12 a.m.; Kono, at 8:20 a.m., and Kaneko at 8:31 a.m.

Rolfing will be filing a daily journal for The Advertiser.

SORENSTAM, WIE TOP MATCH PLAY QUALIFIERS

Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie topped the automatic qualifiers yesterday for the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship in Gladstone, N.J.

The top-ranked Sorenstam, No. 2 Wie and the rest of the top 30 players in the world rankings earned the first spots in the 64-player field next week at Hamilton Farm.

After the 30 players from the world rankings were set, 29 players were added from the LPGA Tour money list. Marisa Baena also got in as the defending champion and France's Gwladys Nocera earned a spot as the Ladies European Tour money leader.

Two sponsor exemptions will be added tomorrow and a spot has been reserved for the winner of the U.S. Women's Open. If the Open champion has already qualified, the final spot will go to the next player on the LPGA Tour money list — No. 53 Il Mi Chung.