SYLVANIA, Ohio -- Se Ri Pak was solid, but hardly
spectacular for a change at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.
Still, her 3-under 68 on Friday was good enough to give her a
five-stroke lead after two rounds. The four-time tournament winner
is at 11-under 131.
She was satisfied with her second round after going 8 under on
the first day, saying she was content to just limit her mistakes.
"I don't have any complaints," Pak said. "I'm not trying to
go really low."
She birdied two holes on the front nine and hit out of a
left-side bunker on the 10th hole to within 3 feet of the cup to
save par. Pak rolled in a 22-foot putt on No. 16 after posting her
only bogey of the round.
Another South Korean with the same last name, Jin Young Pak,
shot a 2 under to put her at 136, five strokes behind the leader.
The rookie said she's never met Se Ri Pak even though they are from
towns about four hours apart.
They'll be paired Saturday. The 21-year-old Pak admitted she'll
be a little nervous playing with someone she grew up admiring.
"It's like a dream come true," she said. "She's a hero in
Korea."
Carri Wood (69) and Meg Mallon (65) were tied at 5 under after
two rounds. Mallon put together the top score on Friday, with six
birdies and no bogeys.
Wood earned a place in the Women's British Open as the top five
LPGA Tour members after 36 holes who aren't exempt for the Open won
spots in the Aug. 2-5 tournament at St. Andrews in Scotland.
"It's the birthplace of golf," said Wood, who bogeyed her
final hole when her putt hit a spike mark. "Who wouldn't want to
go over there and play."
Wood, in her 11th year on the tour, has never finished in top
10. Her best showing came two years ago at the Farr Classic when
she tied for 12th.
She said no one expected her to be in position to win.
"I think it would be a surprise to everybody else and me," she
said. "I hope my game can hold up."
Se Ri Pak, though, looks tough to beat. Twice she missed birdie
putts that rolled around the cup, the last on No. 18.
"Those will happen," she said with a shrug.
Jimin Kang (68) and Morgan Pressel (70) were four under and tied
for fifth. Pressel had just two birdies.
"I was pretty messy," she said. "I was just trying to hang
on."
Angela Stanford hit the shot of the day, scoring an eagle when
her wedge shot from 85 yards out hit in front of the pin and
dribbled in on the par-4 fourth hole.
That propelled her near the top of the leaderboard until she
bogeyed the final three holes, putting her eight shots behind the
leader.
"I just started hitting the putts too hard," she said.
Stanford (69) and seven others were tied at 3 under, including
U.S. Open champion Cristie Kerr and Canada's Alena Sharp, who was
just two shots back coming into the round. Sharp was 3 over on
Friday.
Natalie Gulbis, who nearly won last year's tournament in a
playoff, just made the cut set at 2 over par. She fell to 6 over on
the front nine Friday before reeling off three straight birdies.
Gulbis made a short par putt on her final hole to stay around
for the final rounds.
Missing the cut were Paula Creamer and Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez
who finished at 19 over.
"I was having an out-of-body experience," said Lopez, a fan
favorite who managed to maintain a smile. "I just have to keep
trying."