Creamer, Kerr Done
6:31 p.m. - Paula Creamer made a hard charge and put herself in contention heading into the weekend. In her seventh Women's Open, she scrambled to a 3-under 68 that left her one shot back of sole leader Cristie Kerr (69-70-139).
If Creamer's injured left thumb has bothered her, she's not letting on. She received a cortisone injection last week.
"In situations like this," she said afterward, "I don't think of things like that."
Creamer finished with a flurry. After finding the green in two, she stood over a 35-foot putt for birdie.
It broke 9 feet before disappearing into the hole. During the practice rounds, she worked on the same putt, similar distance, about six or seven times, she intimated.
"It was every emotion you can imagine [when it fell in]," said Creamer. "For it to go in was a relief. It's exciting. Those are big putts."
Kerr also had a hot putter going. But it wasn't until after a bogey on No. 11, her second hole. She ran off three of her five birdies on Nos. 15-17 thanks to mid-range putts.
Consecutive bogeys on Nos. 2 and 3 didn't derail her concentration.
"If I get it up there," said Kerr, "I feel like I have a chance to make it. On No. 3, I just told myself, 'Fairways and greens. This happens to everybody.'"
Kerr Drops One
6:02 p.m. - Just as the ESPN coverage was going off, Cristie Kerr suffered her first bogey in six holes when she failed to make a 7-foot par putt at No. 8. The 31-year-old still leads the championship at three under par. Jean Reynolds is one shot back. Most would have suspected the unheralded Reynolds to fall off the pace, but the two-time winner on the 2009 Duramed Futures Tour has bounced back after two bogeys on two and four to birdie the par-4 fifth. She has four holes remaining in her second round.
On Fire
5:38 p.m. - Giulas Sergas is on pace to post the best round of the championship. The 29-year-old from Trieste, Italy is four under for the day and even par for the championship, four strokes behind Cristie Kerr. Sergas' best finish in 12 LPGA Tour events in 2009 has been a tie for 22nd at the MasterCard Classic, but she did tie for sixth at last year's U.S. Women's Open.
Na Yeon Choi's first-round 68 is so far the best round. Today's best score was produced by Teresa Lu in the morning wave (69).
Ochoa, Creamer Birdie 14
5:15 p.m. - Lorena Ochoa finally made her first birdie of the second round, knocking in a 6-footer at the 14th hole to get to three over par for the championship. Paula Creamer, Ochoa's fellow competitor, also rolled in a 25-foot birdie to erase the two bogeys she had made on 11 and 13. Creamer is now one of four players in red figures. Jean Reynolds, however, dropped a shot at the par-4 second, the hardest hole on the course, and now sits at two under, which is where she began the day.
Paula Drops Back
5:10 p.m. - Paula Creamer suffered her second bogey in three holes at the par-4 13th and now sits four shots behind leader Cristie Kerr at even par. Right now just three players are in red figures: Kerr, Jean Reynolds and Eun Hee Ji of Korea.
Make It Nine
4:43 p.m. - Make it nine holes since Cristie Kerr has parred a hole. She knocked in a 4-foot birdie on the par-3 fourth. This one brought a slight smile from the otherwise serious former champion.
Bounce-Back Effect
4:34 p.m. - As quick as the championship hit a stalemate, the logjam was broken. Cristie Kerr, following consecutive bogeys, birdied the third hole. It's been eight holes since she recorded a par.
Jean Reynolds found trouble on the par-4 18th, flying her ball into a right greenside bunker. She followed with a masterful up and down, capping it off with 2-foot putt.
Paula Creamer fell two strokes behind when she bogeyed No. 11.
Three-Way Tie
4:18 p.m. - When Cristie Kerr needed to make an 8-foot putt to avoid double bogey on No. 2. Unfortunately for her, she dropped into a tie with Paula Creamer and Jean Reynolds. All three were two under par.
Tightening Up
4:08 p.m. - Paula Creamer reached a red number after dropping in an 8-foot birdie on No. 9. That got her to one under for the championship. On the next hole, she converted another mid-range birdie putt - this one within 8 feet of the hole - that brought a fist pump. The mini run put Creamer one shot off the lead, because Cristie Kerr bogeyed No. 1.
Creamer and Jean Reynolds were tied at two under.
Alexis, You Have Company
4 p.m. - Alexis Thompson is not the only 14 year old playing well this week. Alison Lee of Valencia, Calif., who actually is 16 days younger than Thompson, has birdied 12 and 14 to get to two over for the championship. She still has 13 holes left in her round. Like Thompson, Lee will be a ninth-grader this fall, although she will attend a regular high school (Valencia High), while Thompson is home-schooled.
Kerr In A Zone
3:39 p.m. - Birdie. Birdie. Birdie. That's what Cristie Kerr had done her last three holes, namely Nos. 15-17 to fall to four under. She continue the streak on No. 18 when her 12-footer wouldn't fall. Kerr made the turn 2-under 33.
Increasing The Lead
3:20 p.m. - She's feeling it. Cristie Kerr has found a groove, birdieing the par-4 16th with a 2-foot birdie and then sticking her iron shot off the 17th tee within 4 feet of the flagstick. Kerr (three under) holds a two-stroke lead over Jean Reynolds, Eun-Hee Ji and Hee Young Park.
Kerr Sole Leader
3:04 p.m. - Cristie Kerr finessed in a 6-footer for birdie on the par-4 15th to switch places with Jean Reynolds atop of the leaderboard. When she won in 2007, she had a 1.57 putting average.
Streak Ends
2:37 p.m. - Candie Kung had one of the more impressive streaks going at the Women's Open, reeling off 22 consecutive pars before making a bogey at the par-4 fifth hole. She still has yet to make a birdie in the championship and sits at one over par, three shots behind surprise leader Jean Reynolds, who has opened with consecutive pars.
Flip-Flopping
2:27 p.m. - Lorena Ochoa parred her first two holes, but then suffered a double bogey on the par-4 third hole. She drove into the right rough and tried carrying Saucon Creek on her approach shot. However, the ball hit surrounding rocks, pinballed and fell into the water. On the next hole, she missed a 6-foot birdie putt for par.
Jean Reynolds took the lead with a par on No. 1. Cristie Kerr bogeyed No. 11, her second hole, and stands at one under par.
Another Withdrawal
2:23 p.m. - Jin Joo Hong just withdrew. No reason given.
Ochoa, Kerr On Course
1:44 p.m. - Cristie Kerr, Lorena Ochoa both parred their first hole to maintain pace.
Eagle Has Landed
1:25 p.m.- Christina Kim started her round on the right note. She eagled the par-5 first hole, which put her at one under par for the championship.
Lee Leaves Championship
1:01 p.m. - Ji Young Lee pulled out after suffering a wrist injury.
Low Rounds
12:57 p.m. - Terresa Lu had the morning's best round, carding a 2-under 69 for a 145 total. Lindsey Wright also scored in the red, firing a 1-under 70. She's two over for the championship. Suzann Pettersen (3-over total) and Jimin Kang (five over) were next. Both shot shot level par.
Alexis Thompson, 14, hung strong but registered a 2-over 73 to stand 2-over 144.Thompson's father is lugging her bag to which she said moments after signing her scorecard: "We have our father-daughter moments. We love each other."
Another Withdrawal
12:19 p.m. - Minea Blomqvist withdrew due to illness on her 13th hole today. She shot a 78 in the first round.
Very little red has been seen on the leaderboard.
Thompson Drops
11:31 a.m. - After missing golden opportunities for birdie at holes one, three and four, amateur Alexis Thompson suffered a double-bogey 7 at the par-5 sixth hole to drop back to three over for the championship. The 14-year-old is still in very solid position to make her first cut at a Women's Open. She made bogeys on two of her final four holes last year to miss by two shots. She did share low-amateur honors at the Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Na Yeon Choi has stopped the bogey train with a birdie at the par-4 14th hole to get back to one under for the championship.
Not Much Red
11:03 a.m. - Only four players are in red figures for the day among the early second-round starters. That foursome includes Suzann Pettersen of Norway, who is two under through 12 holes and one over par for the championship. She's definitely one to keep an eye on as she already has one major title, the 2007 McDonald's LPGA Championship. First-round leader Na Yeon Choi has suffered another bogey (No. 12) and has slipped to even par for the championship.
Hurst Pulls Out
10:09 a.m. - Citing a rib injury, Pat Hurst withdrew this morning. She shot 6-over 77 in the first round and was scheduled to play today at 1:36 p.m.
Choi Falls More
10:05 a.m. -Na Yeon Choi completed her front nine to the tune of 2-over 38. Currently she's one under for the championship. In the meantime, Young Kim made a move, falling to one under with a birdie on the fourth hole.
Alfredsson Withdraws
8:45 a.m. - Helen Alfredsson, last year's runner-up, withdrew due to a rib injury. Brittany Lang will now be moved into the Ji Young Oh-Christina Kim pairing.
Choi Out Of Lead
8:29 a.m. - Na Yeon Choi got off to an ominous start, bogeying her first two holes before recording a par on No. 3. Cristie Kerr, Lorena Ochoaand Jean Reynolds now lead. All three have afternoon tee times.
Second Round Has Begun
Bethlehem, Pa. - Good morning. The second round has begun. To recap, Na Yeon Choi (3-under 68) holds a one-stroke lead on three players -- Cristie Kerr, Lorena Ochoa, Jean Reynolds. Hee Young Park followed at 1-under 70.
Choi's second round began at 7:33 a.m.
