Saturday, July 12, 2008

In the quiet of the locker room after missing the cut a year ago, a disgusted Paula Creamer swore she'd get even with Highland Meadows Golf Club.

Making good on that vow, she followed a course-record 60 with a 6-under-par 65 yesterday to build a six-stroke lead through two rounds of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic in Sylvania, Ohio.

"That Friday I was sitting in the locker room packing up my things to go home," Creamer said after shattering the tournament's 36-hole record by six shots. "That was not a good feeling."

She promised her sponsors -- also the tournament's title sponsor -- that she'd get payback.

"I was telling them: 'I'm coming back. I'm going to come back and play this golf course well,' " said Creamer, who stands at 17-under 125 -- the lowest 36-hole total on the LPGA Tour this year by five strokes.

First, she flirted with a magical 59 -- the lowest competitive round ever on the PGA or LPGA tours -- in the first round. Then the 21-year-old needed a birdie on one of the two closing par-5 holes yesterday to tie the tour record for fewest shots taken through two rounds. Instead, she parred both holes, missing a short birdie putt and then saving a par on the 18th after missing the green with her approach.

"She has been incredible and her score is unbelievable," said Eun-Hee Ji, the only player within 10 shots of Creamer. Ji has rounds of 65 and 66 and still trails by six strokes.

Creamer had seven birdies and her only bogey of the tournament a day after she birdied nine of the final 11 holes and totaled 11 birdies. The 60 eclipsed by a shot the course record of defending champion Se Ri Pak.

The tournament may be half over, but as far as most of the players are concerned it's completely over.

"She's so far ahead, you're almost playing for second," said Stacy Lewis, who shot a 66 yet lost ground after starting the day 10 shots back.

Pak, trying to become the first LPGA player to win the same event six times, shot a 69 and was 12 shots behind.

· PGA TOUR: Kenny Perry again sizzled following a sluggish start and was two strokes off the lead after the second round of the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.

Looking for his third win in his last five starts, the 47-year-old Perry birdied six of his final 10 holes while shooting 5-under 66. That put him in a three-way tie for second place at 11-under 131 with first-round co-leader Charlie Wi (67) and Eric Axley (66).

The strong finish wasn't enough to move past Will MacKenzie (64), who jumped to the top of the leader board earlier in the day and was 13 under.

· EUROPEAN PGA TOUR: Phil Mickelson had a hole-in-one at the Scottish Open in Luss to make the cut and go into the weekend five strokes behind leader Angel Cabrera.

-- From News Services