Leading LPGA Tour rookies Paula Creamer and Kim Joo-mi were among four players tied for the lead after two rounds of the Sybase Classic on Friday.
First-round leader Christina Kim and 2002 Sybase champion Gloria Park were also at 5-under 137 after two trips around the Wykagyl Country Club course.
Creamer, who is 18 years old and 19th on the tour's money list, made a 9-foot birdie putt on her final hole to cap a 3-under 68 and join the four-way tie for the lead in the US$1.25 million event.
She has other things on her mind as she finishes her ninth event as a professional. Creamer graduates from high school next Thursday in Florida.
"I think about it a lot on the course," she said. "I am looking forward to next week and hopefully I can pull off a win for that. That would be fun but there's a lot of golf left."
Creamer, who finished second at the ShopRite Classic last year as an amateur, has two top-10 finishes this year. She won 11 amateur tournaments.
"I know what it takes to win events," she said. "It's all about experience."
Kim Joo-mi, who is 49th on the money list, had a 65 to match the low round of the tournament as she broke 70 for the first time on tour. Six of her seven birdies were from 8 feet or less.
The 20-year-old native of South Korea has three international victories to her credit and she is coming off her best finish in eight starts this year, a tie for 16th last week at the Chick-fil-A Charity Championships.
Christina Kim had a second-round 72 to not only make the cut for the first time in three appearances in this event but to hold a share of the lead.
She was one of the players most affected by Friday's raw conditions. It was overcast and in the 10s C for the morning starters and it was just a few degrees warmer for those who played in the afternoon. There were plenty of wool ski hats and ear warmers, and some of the gloves were of the non-golf variety.
"For me, the more layers I wear, the more difficult it is for me to swing. I have to swing around my body enough as it is," said Christina Kim, a California native known for her cheery attitude, bright outfits and Kangol hat. "Considering how dreary the day itself was, I think that I was pretty happy and pretty festive."
Park's second career victory came here and that had something to do with her playing through an injury.
"I have tendinitis in the [left] wrist and I withdrew from the tournament last week and my mom wanted me to go home instead of playing here," she said. "But because I like this golf course and have a good memory here, I came."
Her time on the range has been limited by the injury but she had six birdies on Friday, including holing a bunker shot on the par-3 16th, a two-putt birdie on the par-5 15th and two tap-ins on par-4s.
"It was just kind of a lucky day," said Park, who has a doctor's appointment early next week.
Four golfers, including two former winners of this tournament, were tied for fifth at 3-under 139.
Michele Redman, who won here in 1997, had a 67, while Hee-Won Han, the 2003 champion, had a 72. Miriam Nagl (72) and Siew-Ai Lim (73) were also two strokes behind the leaders.
Cristie Kerr, second on the money list and the only player from the top 10 in the field, had a second straight 72.
Defending champion Sherri Steinhauer, who also won here in 1999, had a 72 and was at 146. Beth Daniel, the only other former champion in the field (1994) had a 77 and missed the cut by two strokes.
RSS