Annika Sorenstam shot a 4-under 68 on Friday to tie Sherri Turner for the second-round lead at the LPGA Corning Classic.
Sorenstam, seeking her fifth win in six starts this year, jumped to the top of the leaderboard after a four-hour delay caused by lightning and rain. Play was stopped because of darkness after Sorenstam's threesome finished, meaning that most of the afternoon starters will have to complete their rounds on Saturday morning.
Turner, who finished before the rain delay, shot a 1-under 71 for a two-round total of 7-under 137.
The rain softened the course and made the scoring easier after the wind-swept first round. Sung Ah Yim of South Korea birdied No. 2, aced the third hole, and birdied the next two holes for a stunning rally that moved her to 6 under with two holes to play. She was tied with Moira Dunn, who shot a 68, and Karine Icher, who had four holes to play.
South Korea's Jimin Kang and first-round co-leader Sophie Gustafson were at 5 under and also had to complete their rounds.
Sorenstam birdied the first two par-5s to move to 5 under, carding the second after a nice chip-and-roll to 1m as the rain began to fall. Play was halted after she parred No. 6.
When Sorenstam emerged from the locker room after the stoppage, she carded two pars before rolling in a 4.8m birdie putt at No. 9.
A fan yelled "You go girl!" as the putt dropped, and that's exactly what Sorenstam did. A long drive at the 364-yard No. 10 -- which she bogeyed in the opening round -- and a soft second shot that landed 1.8m of the pin set up her second straight birdie.
At the par-3 11th hole, she drove within 1.5m and made birdie again to go to 8 under, then rolled in a curving 2.7m putt for another birdie at the par-5 12th hole to take sole possession of the lead at 9 under.
Just when she seemed unstoppable, Sorenstam faltered just as she did in the first round. After a par at the tough No. 13, she carded consecutive bogeys.
The first came at the par-5 14th, which she eagled Thursday. After laying up in front of the elevated green, Sorenstam chunked her third shot and it spun back off the front edge of the green into the rough. She chipped on and two-putted from 3.6m.
At the 125-yard, par-3 15th hole, Sorenstam's drive landed in the sand trap to the right of the green and she two-putted from 3.3m after blasting out of the sand.
Turner's string of luck continued. She played in the afternoon group on Thursday, after a swirling wind hampered play early. On Friday, she completed the second round under near ideal conditions -- and before the storms.
"I think we were pretty lucky this morning," said the 48-year-old Turner, who won here 17 years ago. "I was thinking I had a good tee time the first two days, for sure."
Rain started falling around 1pm and play was halted a half hour later.
Justin Leonard took advantage of firm fairways at the TPC at Southwind for some extra length off the tee and shot a 5-under 65, extending his lead to five strokes after the second round.
He had six birdies and his first bogey for a 13-under 127 total that was one stroke off the 36-hole course record held by John Cook (1996) and David Frost (1999). Both did it when par was a stroke higher.
Leonard, who led by two strokes after one round, matched the low 36-hole total on tour this year by Joe Ogilvie at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
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