Annika Sorenstam seized control of the LPGA Championship with a blazing finish on Friday, three times stuffing her approach shots inside 2 feet for tap-in birdies for a 5-under 67 and a two-shot lead over Laura Davies.
"It's a great rush," Sorenstam said. "You picture something, it feels solid, you look up and it's tap-ins."
Trying to become the first woman in 65 years to win the same major three straight seasons, Sorenstam could not have asked for a better start. She also was the 36-hole leader the last two years in the McDonald's LPGA Championship, when it was played at DuPont Country Club.
PHOTO: AFP
Even more frightening for the rest of the players is that Sorenstam isn't even taking advantage of the par 5s, playing them at 1 over in the second round and even par for the week.
"I'm a little disappointed about that," she said. "It's something I've got to figure out."
Everything else was no mystery. By the end of another muggy afternoon at Bulle Rock club, it was crystal clear who was in control of this major.
PHOTO: AP
Sorenstam, who has won five of her seven tournaments this year, was at 9-under 135 and will play with Davies in the final group today.
Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!
An invasion from Down Under has taken over the Booz Allen Classic, where Australian Robert Allenby is on top, with countrymen Adam Scott and Steve Elkington right behind.
Allenby shot a 65 in the second round to give him a 9-under-par total of 133, two strokes ahead of first-round leader Matt Gogel, Lee Westwood, Elkington and defending champion Scott. The leaderboard really isn't surprising, given that hardly a week goes by without someone from the growing Oz contingent making some noise at a PGA Tour event.
"We have so many," Elkington said. "I haven't gotten around to introducing myself to all of them yet. ... As a rule, Australian sportsmen travel really well. They've always done well in the Olympics and big events for some reason. Australians can leave their home and compete and do well."
Allenby's round was the best of the day on the unusually player-friendly Blue Course at Congressional Country Club. He was pleased to put together a complete performance as he deals with a mysterious swelling in his hands that has pained him for months.
Allenby said he woke up with two swollen hands after the Nissan Open in February. Even now, he can't make a fist with his right hand when he first wakes up, so he runs hot water over it to relieve the stiffness.
"At first we thought I had rheumatoid arthritis, or some sort of arthritis," Allenby said. "We did a bunch of blood tests. Last week or two, it's only just started to go down. Only a couple of fingers in my right hand feel a little stiff and achy, but my left hand feels much better. ... I've had no feel, no touch around the greens at all. Even to this day we still don't know what was causing it."
R.W. Eaks overcame a shanked sand wedge on the third hole to shoot a season-best 7-under 65 for a share of the first-round lead with Gil Morgan in the Champions Tour's Bayer Advantage Classic.
Jim Ahern opened with a 66, and hometown favorite Tom Watson, playing with Jack Nicklaus on a course the Golden Bear designed, was in a group at 67 along with Dana Quigley, Rodger Davis, Don Pohl, Lonnie Nielsen, Gary McCord, Mark McNulty and another Kansas City native, Jim Colbert.
Play was suspended for 1 hour, 24 minutes when rain and wind blew through this suburb south of Kansas City, causing several players to finish late. The same storm system on Wednesday uprooted trees in the area and destroyed the media tent at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate.
The 65-year-old Nicklaus, who has suggested this could be one of his final tournament appearances on American soil, played with his son, Steve, in the pro-am and finished with a 73. Dismissing the importance of the Champions Tour event, he said playing with Steve was the only reason he was here.
"I always try to do my best, but the reason I came is to spend time with Steve," he said.
"A 73, I'm not very happy with. That's not a very exciting score."
Gary Emerson shot a 7-under 63 to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the KLM Dutch Open.
Emerson had nine birdies, including 8-of-11 in the middle of his round, and two bogeys to take the lead at 8-under 132 overall.
"I played nicely yesterday and today I just holed a few more putts," Emerson said.
"I have nearly been playing very well recently so it is just a case of being patient and waiting for the right tournament to arrive."
Paul Broadhurst was one stroke behind in second place after a 3-under 67, and Alessandro Tadini trailed by a further stroke after a 64.
Emerson said the course's new design, with more trees and thicker rough, suited his game.
"It is easier to pick out targets and see shots," he said.
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