Creamer extends lead at Farr
7/11/2008A two-horse race is setting up for this weekend at the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic, except one entry comes in with a significant head start.
One day after shooting a tournament-record 11-under 60, Paula Creamer fired a 6-under 65 today to lead the field at 17-under, six shots ahead of Eun-Hee Ji.
Rachel Hetherington and H.J. Choi find themselves in a distant third at 7-under par for the tournament.
Toledo born Stacy Lewis turned in a 5-under 66 in the second round and is tied for fifth with three other golfers at 6-under.
Defending champion Se Ri Pak sits in a tie for ninth at 5-under.
Still only halfway through this one, Creamer is creeping up on LPGA and Farr history.
Annika Sorenstam holds the record for the lowest 72-hole score posted on the tour with a 27-under 261 set in 2001 at the Standard Register Ping in Phoenix.
Pak holds the Farr record for the lowest 72-hole score with her 23-under 261 set in 1998.
Ji found a way to match Creamer and stay within striking distance of her for most of the afternoon en route to carding a 5-under 66.
But Creamer turned up the heat on the back nine after making her first bogey of the tournament on the par-4 4th. She closed with a 4-under 33 and four birdies along the way to match the low score of the day at the Farr.
After 36 holes, Creamer has same the number of birdies (18) as she does pars and bogeys (18).
GULBIS MISSES CUT: Natalie Gulbis followed up a disappointing 3-over 74 yesterday with a 1-under 70 in the second round.
Still, it most likely won t be enough to get her into the weekend with the projected cut at even par with more than half the field in the clubhouse.
After making three straight birdies to open her round and making the turn at the cut line, Gulbis had her momentum derailed on the back nine with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16.
Read more in tomorrow's edition of The Blade and on toledoblade.com.