Ochoa fires 65, grabs 1-stroke lead
Lorena Ochoa trudged up a grassy mound to the right of the fifth green with a wedge in her hand, searching for a rare errant shot. She found the ball in the bunker, much to her relief, blasted over a steep lip and saved par.
That was all the trauma she could stand in one day at Bulle Rock.
It was the only fairway and the only green she missed. Ochoa was practically perfect Friday in the McDonald's LPGA Championship at Havre De Grade, Md., making enough of her 17 birdie chances for a 7-under 65 and a 1-shot lead over Lindsey Wright. There was no stress, no par putt longer than 3 feet, and not much to ruin a day when golf felt as simple as walking.
"My best round in the season," Ochoa said.
It put the 26-year-old from Mexico in her favorite spot -- atop the leaderboard at a major championship.
Ochoa had at least a share of the 36-hole lead in the Women's British Open at St. Andrews and Kraft Nabisco Championship, winning both those majors by a combined 9 shots.
Ochoa's 65 matched her best score of the season and topped by 3 shots her best score in this major. She was at 10-under 134, the lowest 36-hole score at Bulle Rock since the LPGA Championship moved here in 2005.
Three-time LPGA champion Annika Sorenstam tried to make a move with a 68, but she was still 4 shots behind. But she sounded as though she anticipated a duel with the No. 1 player on Sunday.
"I think I'm in good shape," Sorenstam said. "I played well here in the past. It's a major, and 36 holes is nothing. The way I'm hitting it, I'm just waiting for the putts to drop. It could be a lot of fun."
Stanford St. Jude: Everyone at the TPC Southwind wanted a nice warmup for the U.S. Open. They got as good a simulation as possible thanks to gusting wind and firm greens that made par an attractive score.
Tommy Armour III double-bogeyed No. 18 and fell into a six-way tie atop the leaderboard after two rounds at the Stanford St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tenn., on a day where only 13 players were under par. It was the most players tied for lead at the halfway point on the PGA Tour since a six-way tie last year at the Shell Houston Open.
Armour was tied with Gavin Coles, whose 64 was the low round through the first two days, Dean Wilson (68), Jason Dufner (68), Michael Bradley (68) and Marc Turnesa (69) at 3-under 137.
Bank Austria Open: Austria's Martin Wiegele shot a 7-under 64 for a share of the first-round lead in the rain-delayed Bank Austria Open in Oberwaltersdorf, Austria.