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Friday, August 25

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Karrie Webb matched the best round in LPGA Tour history Friday, firing an 11-under 61 for a three-stroke lead midway through the Oldsmobile Classic.

	Karrie Webb became the third player to shoot 61 in an LPGA event.

Webb made nine birdies and an eagle at the Walnut Hills Country Club to match records for low 18-hole total and low 18-hole score with relation to par.

Se Ri Pak shot a 10-under 61 in the second round of the 1998 Jamie Farr Classic. Annika Sorenstam shot 61 in 1999 on a par-72 course in the opening round of the Sara Lee Classic.

Vicki Fergon produced an 11-under 62 in the second round of the 1984 San Jose Classic.

"It's awesome," said Webb, who has five wins, including two majors, this season. "Not that you say you leave shots out there when you shoot 61, but I think I missed two 8-footers for birdie as well. And I didn't birdie (No.) 14, which I should.

"I was still just on a great flow. I hit the ball really solid, probably the best I've hit in a while as far as being in the middle of the fairway and close all day."

Meg Mallon, who broke the tournament record with an opening-round 62, followed with a 4-under 68 and is three strokes behind Webb at 14-under 130.

"She has a way of spoiling some of my parties," Mallon joked.

Webb sympathized with Mallon.

"I kind of feel bad for Meg at (14-under) and not leading," said Webb. "That's the way golf goes. And there's plenty left to play. I know a lot of people are saying that this is a two-horse race, but someone could do what Meg and I have done tomorrow and be right in the thick of things."

Jenny Lidback is seven shots off the pace after a 68. Luciana Bemvenuti carded a 67 to move into fourth place at 9-under 135.

Webb, who started on the back nine, realized the significance of her round after putting herself in position for an eagle at the 460-yard sixth hole.

"Standing over that eagle putt, I thought, `If I make this, what do I have to do to shoot 59?' " she said. "It's a great feeling to put yourself in position to even think of numbers like that."

Webb broke the all-time 36-hole tournament record of 16-under 128 set last year by Michelle McGann at the Sara Lee Classic.

Webb set the 54- and 72-hole LPGA records when she won last year's Australian Ladies Masters at 26-under 262.

Told she looked rested after today's round, she quipped, "Well, when you only take 61 shots, it doesn't take too much out of you."

Webb recorded back-to-back birdies only once on Friday. She had five on the back nine -- at Nos. 10, 12, 15 16 and 18 -- and four on the front -- at Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 8. Her lone eagle came at the 460-yard sixth hole, where she hit a 5-wood from 219 yards to 15 feet.

On Thursday, Webb said she thought 15-under would be good enough to win the tournament.

"I think we'll have to wait and see now," she said. "I just blew my prediction out of the water."

The shootout between Webb and Mallon was to be expected. Between them, they have won three of the LPGA's four majors.

"Obviously, we're both playing ultra-good golf now," said Mallon, winner of the du Maurier two weeks ago. "You can't make a bogey out here. If you do, you feel like you'll fall back by a touchdown."

Webb and Mallon both started the round on No. 10, with Mallon's threesome right behind Webb's group. As a result, each could see clearly what the other was doing.

"I was really trying to do my own thing out there," said Mallon, who needed 30 putts, compared with 23 in the first round. "But today, I was hitting it to 15 or 20 feet, rather than inside 10 feet like I was yesterday. That was the difference.

"Still, shooting 4-under, I'm pretty happy about that."

Not as happy as Webb, the LPGA's leading money-winner at $1.5 million, who lists The Nabisco Championship and the U.S. Women's Open among her five tour victories this season.

"Low rounds are always in the back of your mind," Webb said. "But you can't say you're going to go out and do that. You know, 62 or 63 is still a great round."

Webb, starting the day four shots behind Mallon and two back of McGann, wasted no time letting the rest of the field know the chase was on. She knocked a wedge within 4 feet for birdie at No. 10. That set the tone for a record-shattering day.

Webb turned at 11-under, yet still trailed Mallon by one. But not for long.

Birdies at Nos. 2, 4 and 5 got Webb to 14-under, tied with Mallon.

At the sixth, a 460-yard hole the women play as a par 5, Webb hit a 5-wood within 15 feet of the pin. As her eagle putt curled its way toward the cup, Webb yelled at the ball to stay on line.

She pumped her fist when the ball hit the bottom of the cup, putting Webb at 16-under -- and alone in the lead.

"I don't think I knew how special the round was until I had that putt for eagle," Webb said. "Then it dawned on me. When I made that putt, I thought that if I didn't get 59, I at least wanted to get 61, because I knew that was a record for our tour."