Yim charges into the lead

Yim Sung-ah of South Korea hits her tee shot on the 12th hole during the second round of the Florida's Natural Charity Classic in Stockbridge, Georgia, on Friday. PHOTO: AFP

Yim Sung-ah charged to the top of the leaderboard at the Florida's Natural Charity Championship with an 8-under 64 on Friday, moving ahead of two South Korean compatriots and Australia's Karrie Webb.

Yim to 12-under 132 with 20-year-old Lee Jee Young one stroke back after a 65, and Han Hee-won was tied with Webb, who shot a second straight 5-under 67, at 134.

"It was really solid out there," Webb said. "I think I hit it even a little better today."

Han seven birdies on the front side for a 29, but couldn't keep it going after the turn. Still, she signed for a 64 that equaled Yim for the best round of the day.

Defending champion Annika Sorenstam was three strokes back with a 69 Friday.

Webb, the only player other than Sorenstam to be ranked No. 1 in the world over the last 11 years, is coming off a victory in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She holed out a wedge from 116 yards to get into a playoff, then beat Lorena Ochoa for her seventh career major title.

After a three-week break in which she traveled back to her native Australia, Webb showed she's not jet-lagged in the least. She missed a couple of short putts, took her only bogey of the day on the par-5 13th but still matched her score from the opening day.

"I feel like I can go out there and really just trust it because I sort of got that monkey off my back," she said. "I can just go out there and do what I did for four rounds at the Nabisco."

Thursday's co-leaders both faded badly. Maria Hjorth was eight strokes higher than her opening 65, leaving her six shots behind Yim. Cristie Kerr did even worse, shooting a 75 that pushed her eight shots back.

Yim's major mistake came at No. 5, where Yim three-putted from 15 feet for a bogey. But she bounced right back at the next hole, sticking a 5-wood from 207 yards within 10 feet of the flag, then sinking the eagle putt.

"I had just one miss," Yim said. "It was a very, very good day. My shots and my putts, everything was very good."

Stuart Appleby took a one-stroke lead over Greg Owen on Friday in the suspended second round of the Shell Houston Open, finishing 16 bogey-free holes in 5 under to push his two-day total to 11 under.

Appleby, the first-round leader, started on the back nine and moved to 11 under with a birdie on No. 6. He was one of 44 players who had to return to the course early Saturday to finish the round.

A predawn storm dumped 1.5cm of rain at The Tournament Course at Redstone, delaying the start of the second round 2 1/2 hours.

Owen off late in the afternoon and birdied five of his last seven holes for a 65, the lowest score of the tournament.

A month ago, a three-putt from 3 feet cost Owen a chance to win at Bay Hill. Owen talked to noted sports psychologist Bob Rotella shortly after the gaffe.

Rotella's advice?

"Concentrate on everything you did right," Owen said. "The majority of the things were all positive."

The 34-year-old Englishman had plenty of those on Friday, too. He made a 3-foot birdie putt on 13, holed a bunker shot on the par-3 14th and finished the round with a bending 20-footer on the difficult 18th.

"I'm just trying to have a good time and I'm playing pretty well, which helps," Owen said. "Just trying to see the good shots more than the bad shots."

Appleby his round a half-hour later. Like Owen, Appleby birdied the two par 5s on the back nine. The Australian tacked on two more birdies as the sun was setting to retake the outright lead.

"You put it in the fairway. The game becomes a lot easier," Appleby said. "I drove it well, putted pretty good. But nothing fancy. Just good, solid golf."

South Africa's Trevor Immelman was 8 under after a 67.

The 26-year-old Immelman has missed the cut in his last four starts.

Mathias Gronberg was 7 under after a 69. He shot a 68 in blustery conditions on Thursday.

Australians Aaron Baddeley and Stephen Leaney were both at 6 under. Leaney had three holes to play on Saturday morning.

Two-time champion Vijay Singh was 4 under after a 71 that included a double bogey.

Michelle Wie has received a sponsor's exemption to play in the 84 Lumber Classic, giving the 16-year-old from Hawaii three starts on the men's US PGA Tour this year.

Wie, who has not made the cut in seven previous times competing against men, will be part of the 144-player field Sept. 14-17 at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, 84 Lumber spokesman Jeff Nobers said Friday.

This will be the final year of the 84 Lumber Classic, which recently decided to give up its summer date on the new PGA Tour schedule that starts in 2007.

Wie not made the cut in four starts on the PGA Tour. Her last attempt was in January at the Sony Open, where she missed by four shots after rounds of 79-68.

No has made the cut on the PGA Tour since Babe Zaharias in 1945.