U.S. Open - 2nd Round

Cristie Kerr posted a 70 (-3 overall) to take a one shot lead at the U.S. Women's Open.  Paula Creamer is in second place at -2 after carding a 68.  Jean Reynolds is in third place at -1 while Na Yeon Choi and Giulia Sergas are tied for fifth fourth at even par.

Conditions on Friday were just as good as Thursday, allowing seven players to break par after only five did so yesterday.  Kerr was the only under-par repeater, following her opening 69 with a five-birdie four-bogey effort.  At one time during her front nine (after birdies at 15, 16 and 17), Cristie led by three shots.  A late bogey at 8 prevented the overnight lead from being two.  Creamer played each nine in 34.  Bogeys at 11 and 13 momentarily derailed her but she rebounded nicely with birdies at 14 and 18.  Reynolds, the two-time Futures Tour winner, is still hanging with the In Crowd - twice today she began to stumble with a bogey or two, only to find another birdie or two to stay right there.  Sergas collected Round of the Week so far with a 67 that could have been 66 had she not bogeyed 18.  Choi was the only Top 5er who played this morning - NYC could only manage one birdie against four bogeys.

Lorena Ochoa double-bogeyed twice, bogeyed five times and only birdied once as her 79 all but destroyed her chance to win this championship.  Lorena is +6, nine shots back - not impossible, but also not likely.  Hee Young Park was -2 after a birdie at 5 (her 14^th) but she closed her day with four straight bogeys and is one of six players tied at +2.  Moving in a positive direction today were Song-Hee Kim (69 +1), Lindsey Wright (70 +2) and Teresa Lu (69 +3).  Shoot, even par at this event is a move in the right direction so let's give Yuri Fudoh (+2), Suzann Pettersen (+3) and Nicole Castrale (+3) their due, too.

The cut rose steadily all day and just after 5pm, I predicted it would be +8.  As the final groups finished up, the +9 players were T62 with two players at +8 still on the course - Haeji Kang and Cindy LaCrosse - each with a couple of holes left.  If both fell to +9 or worse, the +9s would be tied for 60^th and make the cut.  Kang bogeyed her final hole to finish +9 and create a tie for 61^st.  Then LaCrosse bogeyed 18 to also finish +9 and allow Kang and 11 others to sneak into the weekend.  Cindy LaCrosse qualified for the Open as an amateur out of the University of Louisville but is playing her first event as a professional LPGA event this week.  I hope Juli Inkster, Meena Lee, Stacy Lewis, Mika Miyazato and the others at +9 seek Cindy and Haeji out tomorrow to thank them for the favor.

Those at +10 or worse didn't get so lucky.  Going home are Maria Hjorth, Diana D'Alessio (+6 in her last four holes doomed Diana), Miki Saiki, Se Ri Pak, Angela Stanford, Jane Park, last week's champ Eunjung Yi, Jeong Jang, Yani Tseng, Katherine Hull, Hee-Won Han and Angela Park.  The attrition rate this week is incredible - Jee Young Lee withdrew before her tee time, becoming the ninth player to WD.  Making the cut (and then some) were amateurs Alexis Thompson (+2 T8), Jennifer Song (+4 T19), Allie White, Alison Lee (both +5 T28), Azahara Munoz (+6 T37), Jessica Korda (+7 T48) and Candace Schepperle (+9 T60).

If you didn't notice, I live-blogged a large portion of the TV coverage this afternoon.  Be sure to check it out if this recap didn't answer all of your questions about how the day went down.