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VIENNA, Ohio -- When Patti Rizzo walked off the course at the Kellogg-Keebler Classic in Aurora, Ill., last month, she told her caddie, Steve Kelly, she was quitting.

She was tired of not playing well, and she hadn't made a cut in almost a year. She was seriously thinking about becoming a full-time mother and taking care of her children Seve, 8, and Gabby, 6.

But Kelly convinced Rizzo to give her game a few more tournaments. He also convinced her to go to the long putter.

"I putted well, I just didn't strike the ball well enough in Aurora," said Rizzo after she shot a 3-under-par 69 in the first round of the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic on Friday at Squaw Creek Country Club. "I'm a traditionalist. I wanted no parts of the long putter.

"Steve finally got me to use the long putter because I was putting so poorly with my regular one. I finally put my pride in my pocket."

Kelly said Rizzo had the yips when she putted, which is something no golfer ever wants to get. The new putter has been a boost to her game.

"I used to worry about 4-foot putts," Rizzo said. "But with the long putter, I've putted so well from 10 feet and in."

Kelly said that Rizzo was a quick learner with the long putter.

"It takes most players a month or two to learn how to use it," Kelly said. "She learned after one day. She still has some things to learn."

Rizzo had a solid round yesterday. She was able to slosh her way around the soggy course in an efficient manner with 15 pars and three birdies. She hit 11 of 14 fairways, hit 13 of 18 greens and 28 putts.

Rizzo was tied for second with Pat Hurst and Michelle McGann after the first round.

"The course is playing long," Rizzo said. "You can go for everything because the greens are soft.

"I felt good, and was hoping able to carry my momentum for the entire round. I was really relaxed. It was a dream day of golf."

NEW RULES

LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw, a native of Salem, Ohio, issued a new rule this year that the top 100 players on tour are required to participate in each of the 23 full-field events once every four years.

Votaw had his staff go back through the records to find out who hasn't played in an event for those years and sent them a letter telling them that they've been ignoring the fans.

His letter still didn't stop 11 players who committed to the tournament last month from pulling out.

Those who withdrew include Soo Young Kim, Soo Young Moon, Sunny Lee, Emilee Klein, Cristie Kerr, Cathy Johnston-Forbes, Jane Crafter, Silvia Cavalleri, Heather Daly-Donofrio, Leslie Spalding and Wendy Doolan.

Mayumi Nakajima, who was an alternate and entered the tournament when Johnston-Forbes pulled out, was forced to withdraw yesterday before her tee time. She never showed up and was replaced by Donna Wilkins. An illness forced Doolan to pull out yesterday.

THIS AND THAT

The start of the tournament was delayed an hour yesterday after heavy rains Thursday night made the course nearly impossible to play. The Youngstown-Warren area has received more than two inches of rain this week. ... The Giant Eagle LPGA Classic continued to draw a strong field with 18 of the top 25 players entered in the tournament. The field included the top three players on the money list: Annika Sorenstam, Grace Park and Se Ri Pak. ... A couple of players with district ties -- Jen Hanna and Jackie Gallagher-Smith -- had tough opening rounds. Hanna, whose family played at Treesdale Golf and Country Club, shot a 3-over 75, while Gallagher-Smith, whose husband, Ed, is formerly of Norvelt, had a 6-over 78. Gallagher-Smith won the 1999 tournament at Avalon Lakes Golf Course.

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