LPGA Turns Down 15-Year-Old

The LPGA turned down a 15-year-old girl who wanted a chance to qualify for a spot on the women’s tour in 2006. And no, it wasn’t Michelle Wie.

Carmen Bandea, who lives with her parents in Duluth, Ga., asked outgoing LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw to waive the requirement that a golfer must be 18 to become a tour member.

In a letter, Votaw cited the teenager’s lack of tournament experience for denying her request to enter qualifying school this fall.

Undeterred, Bandea said she’ll ask Carolyn Bivens, who succeeds Votaw at the end of the year, to give the request another look. In the meantime, the teenager plans to turn pro on the Hooters Tour, a minor league men’s circuit that has many events within driving distance of her home.

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Ben Crane shot an eight-under-par 62 to lead the storm-interrupted U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee.

Play was suspended for the day at 6:30 p.m., with 93 golfers in the field of 156 still on the course -- or waiting to tee off. They were to resume the first round this morning.

Kenny Perry, the 2003 winner, shot a 63, and Chris Smith, Jeff Sluman and Jerry Kelly all had 64s on the par-70 course, which is one of the shortest on the PGA Tour, measuring 6,759 yards.

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Loren Roberts made his Champions Tour debut with a one-over-par 72 at Royal Aberdeen in Scotland to take a one-shot lead after the first round of the Senior British Open.

Roberts, who turned 50 on June 24, overcame some uncharacteristic three-putts and the strong North Sea wind that blew across the course and kept anyone from breaking par.

He made six birdies to offset five bogeys and a double bogey at the par-four ninth for a one-shot lead over Craig Stadler, Des Smyth and four others.

Five-time British Open champion Tom Watson had a 75, and Tom Kite had an 83. Greg Norman, making his Champions Tour debut, had a 76.

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Annika Sorenstam shot a six-under 66 to climb into contention at the Evian Masters in France, two strokes behind second-round leaders Paula Creamer and Christina Kim.

Creamer and Kim each shot 68s and shared the lead at eight-under 136. Sorenstam stood alone in second at six under, with Laura Davies and Carin Koch another stroke back.

Michelle Wie rebounded from her opening 75 with a two-under 70, but she was nine shots behind the co-leaders.

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U.S. Women’s Open runner-up Morgan Pressel, 17, lost in the third round of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Amateur at Eagle, Idaho, when Juliana Murcia Ortiz of Colombia chipped in on the first extra hole.

Pressel finished second at the Women’s Open on June 26 after Birdie Kim chipped in from a greenside bunker.

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In the U.S. Boys’ Junior Amateur at Longmeadow, Mass., Bob Tway’s son, Kevin, beat Arnold Palmer’s grandson, Sam Saunders, in a second-round match and won his next match to advance to the quarterfinals.

Defending champion Sihwan Kim of Fullerton lost in 19 holes in the third round to Philip Francis of Scottsdale, Ariz.