Orlando, Fla. ? Three hours of rain put a stop to the final round at Bay Hill.

It did little to cool off Ernie Els.

Even though Els will have a two-shot lead with four holes remaining when the Arnold Palmer Invitational resumes today, the Big Easy couldn’t help but think about how hard the task had become.

One minute he was five shots ahead and cruising toward his second straight victory on the PGA Tour. Then came a shot into the water, another shot into the sand, and Els was facing a restless night.

“Obviously, I’m not totally at ease with myself right now,” Els said. “I’m a little angry or disappointed or whatever you want to call it. There’s still work out there to be done, and I’ve got to get it done. I’ve basically got to go out there and play hard tomorrow morning, four holes as good as I can.”

Els was at 11-under par through 14 holes when thunderstorms halted the final round, and rain soaked Bay Hill over the next three hours. Kevin Na was at 9 under and on the front of the green on the 15th hole, facing an 80-foot birdie putt.

The final round is to resume at 10 a.m. in the first Monday finish at Bay Hill since 1982.

“I was playing well, and Ernie looked like he was struggling,” Na said. “Probably good for Ernie that they called it so he can clear his head a little bit. For me, I need to make birdies to catch Ernie.”

Ben Curtis and Chris Couch, playing in the final group with Els, were at 8 under. Couch still had a 15-foot par putt on the par-3 14th. Retief Goosen also was 8 under through 17 holes.

Golf

Couples’ 62 breaks record

Cap Cana, Dominican Republic — When Fred Couples joined the Champions Tour this year, most everyone predicted success befitting a 15-time PGA Tour winner and Masters champion.

Judging from his first four events, everyone was right.

Couples shot a 62, breaking the course record at the 7,170-yard, par-72 Punta Espada Golf Club and winning the Cap Cana Championship on Sunday by two strokes.

He made 11 birdies in the final round and finished the tournament at 21-under 195.

Oosthuizen wins in Spain

Malaga, Spain — Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa earned his second straight trip to the Masters on Sunday by winning his first European Tour title with a 3-under 67 in the final round of the Andalucia Open.

Seo dominates at Kia

Carlsbad, Calif. — Hee Kyung Seo ran away with the inaugural Kia Classic for her first LPGA Tour title Sunday, shooting a 2-under 70 for a six-stroke victory in a final round marked by Michelle Wie’s latest rules gaffe.

Wie was penalized two strokes for grounding her club in a hazard after hitting out of the water near the 11th green, giving her a double-bogey 7. She was notified of the penalty by LPGA Tour rules official Doug Brecht a few holes later. At the time, she was five strokes behind Seo.

Gomez claims first title

Broussard, La. — Argentina’s Fabian Gomez won the Louisiana Open for his first Nationwide Tour title, closing with a 7-under 64 in windy conditions Sunday for a tournament-record six-stroke victory over three players.

Masters field grows by 5

Orlando, Fla. — Louis Oosthuizen and K.J. Choi can add Augusta National to their travel itinerary.

They were among five players who have moved into the top 50 in the world ranking and earned a spot in the Masters, which could have its largest field in 44 years.

The other three players to qualify for the Masters through the world ranking are Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, Alvaro Quiros of Spain and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand.

College basketball

Iowa hires McCaffery

Iowa has convinced Fran McCaffery to leave Siena to become the Hawkeyes’ new coach.

Athletic director Gary Barta announced the hiring in a release Sunday and said McCaffery would be introduced in a news conference today in Iowa City.

McCaffery went 112-51 in five seasons at Siena, leading the Saints to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Siena lost to Purdue in the first round this year and finished with a 27-7 record.

Seton Hall taps Willard

South Orange, N.J. — Kevin Willard is leaving Iona to become Seton Hall’s new coach.

A person familiar the hiring told the Associated Press on Sunday that the 34-year-old Willard has agreed to replace Bobby Gonzalez, who was fired on March 17 after a 19-win season that was beset by problems off the court.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the university isn’t expected to announce the agreement until today.

Willard took over an Iona program that was in the bottom 10 among Div. I teams in RPI three years ago and led it to a 21-10 record this season.

NFL

Big Ben won’t return today

Pittsburgh — Ben Roethlisberger’s return to the Pittsburgh Steelers apparently won’t occur this week.

The two-time Super Bowl quarterback is not expected to join his teammates this week for voluntary offseason workouts that begin today, team spokesman Dave Lockett said Sunday night.

Roethlisberger has been accused of assault by a 20-year-old Georgia college student, but he has not been charged in the case. An investigation is ongoing.

Tennis

Nadal advances at Sony

Key Biscayne, Fla. — That sweaty but happy contestant skipping across the court in the neon yellow shirt Sunday was Rafael Nadal, no longer No. 1 but waving his index finger anyway after a third-round victory at the Sony Ericsson Open.

It has been 10 months since Nadal won a tournament, but he showed some of his old championship swagger by rallying past dangerous wild card David Nalbandian, 6-7 (8), 6-2, 6-2.

Cycling

Armstrong places 47th

Porto Vecchio, Corsica — Lance Armstrong didn’t put up much of a fight in his first faceoff this year with rival Alberto Contador.

The Texan placed 47th in the two-day Criterium International, won Sunday by Pierrick Fedrigo of France, but was not disappointed: The race was more about testing his legs than his competitors.

Armstrong repeatedly has said he isn’t yet in top form and is focusing his energies on the victory that he covets most: an eighth Tour de France title in July.

Auto racing

Martinsville race postponed

Martinsville, Va. — NASCAR’s bad weather luck at Martinsville Speedway reared its head again Sunday as rain forced the postponed of the Sprint Cup race until noon today.

It is the second year in a row that rain pushed an event into the work week at the track in southwest Virginia. Last spring, the truck series event had to be run on a Monday.

Rain hits IRL race, too

St. Petersburg, Fla. — With several inches of water pooling on many sections of the low-lying track, the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg was postponed Sunday after a band of thunderstorms pounded the course for much of the afternoon.

Today’s event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. today. And weather could play a role then, too — forecasters are saying there’s a chance of storms again near St. Petersburg.

Button’s gamble pays off

Melbourne, Australia –McLaren’s Jenson Button survived a first-corner collision and successfully gambled on a bold tire strategy to win a thrilling Formula One Australian Grand Prix on Sunday.

MLB

Giants sign three pitchers

Scottsdale, Ariz. — The San Francisco Giants announced the signing of three pitchers to contract extensions: right-handed starter Matt Cain, left-handed setup man Jeremy Affeldt and right-handed closer Brian Wilson.

Cain’s deal, which was extended through 2012, pays him $4.5 million in 2010, $7 million in 2011 plus a $1 million signing bonus, and $15 million in 2012.

Street targets end of April

Tucson, Ariz. — Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street said on Sunday that shoulder stiffness that has sidelined him this spring is lingering, but he will try to throw through the problem with hopes of being able to join the active roster by the end of April.