Associated Press
Friday, March 10

TUCSON, Ariz. -- Cristie Kerr continued her strong play in the Welch's/Circle K Championship on Friday, shooting a 4-under 68 that allowed her to maintain a two-shot lead at the midpoint.

Her finish wasn't as magical as the day before, when she eagled the last hole, but the round was good enough to tie the 36-hole tournament record of 12-under 132 set by Helen Alfredsson in her victory two years ago.

Moira Dunn carded a 66 and was alone in second.

Annika Sorenstam, Janice Moodie, Fiona Pike and Se Ri Pak pulled in at 135. Pak had the day's best round, a 65.

Sara Sanders, Lorie Kane and Mi Hyun Kim were four shots back, with Brandie Burton, Marisa Baena, Michele Redman, Dina Ammaccapane and Pat Hurst grouped at 137.

Defending champion Juli Inskster (140), two-time winner Donna Andrews (141) and Dottie Pepper (138), who won in 1995, were among the 70 pros who made the cut at 143, along with Jenna Daniels, the only amateur in the field.

Alfredsson got the weekend off after shooting 70-74.

The only time Kerr had been ahead in her three years on tour was a share of the lead after the second and third rounds of the 1999 LPGA Championship, in which she finished fifth. She believes the experience of leading a major is carrying over.

"I try to tell myself don't try to shoot a number," Kerr said. "Take what the golf course will give you and take the birdies and play golf. A lot of people think they have to shoot a low number and they get tense. I'm not that way. I've always felt relaxed out there."

Kerr shot her opening 64 thanks to great approach shots. She had longer putts during the second round, but responded with birdies from 40, 28 and 8 feet. Her other two birdies came on short putts after chips.

She ran off three birdies in a decisive stretch at the 12th, 13th and 14th holes and parred out, although the last two holes were hardly routine.

On No. 17, Kerr pushed her tee shot between two palm trees, hit a 5-iron beside the green, chipped on and made a 6-footer to stay at 12-under.

On the par-5 final hole, she was just off the green in front on her second shot, chipped to within four feet and then two-putted.

But the 22-year-old Kerr, who spurned Stanford, Arizona and Arizona State to try her luck on the LPGA Tour after high school, was philosophical about the blown birdie opportunity.

"The green wasn't very smooth," she said. "A lot of people had been walking around there. But I made a really good par at 17, so I have to be satisfied with that."

Dunn, whose best finish in five years on the tour was a tie for second last year in Hawaii, matched her career-low round.

"I think you will see a lot of scores going low and getting better each day," Dunn said about the Randolph North municipal course's hard, dry fairways. "I don't think any one person will run away with it. I think you will see more of a group breakaway. There will be some low scores this weekend."

Dunn offset her only bogey with seven birdies -- three from 20 feet.

She got the last one with a deft chip from above the sloping 18th green. The ball landed 45 feet upslope and carried just enough speed to go over a slight knoll and stop 2 feet from the cup.