Sorenstam's on target in LPGA
Associated Press
The only bad shot Annika Sorenstam hit yesterday cost her a chance at history in the LPGA Championship at Wilmington, Del. All that mattered was a 7-under 64 that put her halfway home to her ultimate goal.
Starting her second round five strokes out of the lead, Sorenstam took the trouble out of DuPont Country Club with a brilliant display of accuracy and built a two-stroke lead over Hee-Won Han going into the weekend.
"I have not had four good rounds on this golf course, and there's no reason for me not to do it," said Sorenstam, who was at 134. "Now I've got to take care of business."
Three times she ran off three straight birdies, and afterward she didn't even realize it.
Nor was she aware standing on the 18th tee, already 8 under for her round, that a birdie would give her a 62. No man or woman has ever shot lower than 63 in a major.
Her 4-wood sailed into the right rough, and Sorenstam had to pitch back to the fairway, short of the creek. She reached the front of the green and had a long two-putt for bogey.
That hardly put a damper on the day.
"It was flawless," Sorenstam said. "It's definitely a top-10 performance for me at a major."
Han shot 69 in the morning and was at 6-under 136.
Wendy Ward, playing with Sorenstam the first two rounds, rolled in a 40-footer for birdie on No. 16 and another one for par on the final hole for a 69. She was at 137 and gets to play with Sorenstam again today.
Because of heavy rain in the forecast, the starting times have been moved up five hours, and the women will play in threesomes.
Capital Open
Sabbatini leads way: Breaking out of a 1 1/2-year slump that had critics questioning his desire, David Duval shot a course-record 62 to move into a tie for second place in the FBR Capital Open at Potomac, Md.
Duval's nine-birdie round moved him from 3 over to 6 under at the halfway point, two shots behind leader Rory Sabbatini, who shot a 66 for a two-day total of 134. Notah Begay, Tom Gillis and Niclas Fasth joined Duval at 136.
Duval missed the cut in nine of 12 previous tournaments this year. This was only the sixth time in 31 rounds that he has shot in the 60s.
Senior PGA
Morgan, Doyle tied: Gil Morgan tied the course record with a 4-under 66 to grab a share of the lead with Allen Doyle after the second round of the Senior PGA Championship at Newtown Square, Pa.
Morgan needed only 28 putts, including a 3-foot birdie putt on the final hole, and was at 4-under 136.
Doyle, who won the Senior PGA title in 1999, shot a 67 on an up-and-down afternoon at Aronimink Golf Club. He had seven birdies and four bogeys. John Jacobs also shot 67 and was a stroke back at 137.
Seiji Ebihara of Japan matched Morgan's record-tying 66 and was tied with Tom Kite and Mike San Filippo at 138.
U.S. OPEN
Tiger, Ernie paired together: Tiger Woods, who begins defense of his U.S. Open title Thursday at Olympia Fields Country Club, will play the first two rounds with British Open champion Ernie Els and U.S. Amateur champion Ricky Barnes of Arizona.
Woods, Els and Barnes start at the 10th tee at 2:20 a.m. Hawai'i time Thursday. Their tee time for the second round is 7:30 a.m. (HST) at the first tee at 7,190-yard Olympia Fields outside Chicago.
There are 10 amateurs and 83 qualifiers in the field of 156 for the $6-million event. The winner receives $1 million.
SHORT PUTTS
Sorenstam says no: Annika Sorenstam was amused by a PGA Tour journeyman who challenged her to an 18-hole match for $1 million. But John Riegger will have to prove his point to someone else. "I'm not interested," Sorenstam said yesterday at the LPGA Championship.
Monty misses cut, again: Colin Montgomerie missed his second straight cut yesterday as England's Greg Owen and Australia's Richard Green moved into a tie for the lead after two rounds of the British Masters at Meriden, England. Montgomerie shot a 3-over-par 75 for a two-round total of 148 and missed the cut by four strokes.
