Associated Press
Friday, June 9

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Propelled by a hole-in-one, Dale Eggeling fired a 4-under-par 68 Friday to grab a share of the lead midway through the Rochester International.

"That's one of the coolest moments I've had in golf. You get all tingly inside," Eggeling said of the 155-yard ace, which won her a $30,000 car and helped move her to 5-under 139 for the tournament, even with Australia's Wendy Doolan.

They own a two-stroke lead over Meg Mallon, an 11-time tour winner, who shot a 67 Friday to go to 3 under through two rounds.

Rosie Jones, who won here in 1991 and 1998, was at 2 under with Pat Hurst, who won the Electrolux USA Championship in May.

Eggeling, a 25-year LPGA veteran, got on her way with a 5-iron drive on the par-3 fifth hole. The ball bounced across the green, and she didn't see it fall in.

"Next thing I know, I turn around to get my tee and everybody's screaming and yelling," she said.

Concentrating hard on keeping her excitement contained, Eggeling recovered from a bogey on No. 7 by picking up three birdies on the back nine. She salvaged par on No. 18, slotting in a downhill putt from 8 feet.

"You can have a fantastic round but ... if you bogey the last hole, you don't remember all the good shots," she said, adding, "making the last putt was a key to the way maybe things will turn out for the rest of the week."

Eggeling, who has won three tournaments (in 1980, 1995 and 1998), missed the cut in nine of 15 outings this year. But she's coming off an eighth-place tie at the Kathy Ireland Greens.com LPGA Classic last Sunday.

She won a playoff at the Los Angeles Women's Championship in 1998, her most lucrative year on tour with $277,217, and ran up three top-10 finishes last year. She's 33rd on the career money list with $2.2 million.

Doolan, who shared the opening-round lead with 70, carded a 69. Finishing up her round on the front nine, she closed with three birdies, holing a tricky, 30-foot putt on No. 7 and leaving her tee shot 6 feet away on the par-3 ninth.

Winless in four years on tour, Doolan has gained momentum in the last three months with a career-best tie for third at the USA Championship and two other top-10 finishes. Her tour earnings have reached $665,052.

"I'm out there doing my best and I can't control what anybody else is doing," Doolan said. "If I keep improving, I'm happy, and I feel like I've improved pretty much every year since I've been out here."

A barrage of thunderstorms delayed morning play for 1½ hours on the already soggy Locust Hill course.

First-round co-leader Jeong Jang, a South Korean rookie who turns 20 Sunday, fell back to 1-over with a 75. Defending champion Karrie Webb, already a four-time winner this year, shot a 1-over 73 to slip to 3-over.