Inkster jumps into lead with 64

The putter is gone from Juli Inkster's belly. And the fire is back.

Inkster stormed to the top of the leaderboard Friday at the Welch's/Circle K Championship, shooting a bogey-free 8-under-par 64 for a three-shot lead over a pair of players.

The 1999 champion, Inkster credited her strong start to her improved play on the green, which has followed a desperate switch to the belly putter after a string of five straight rounds of 74 or worse closed the 2001 season.

"I figured, there's no way I can keep playing the way I'm playing, putting the way I'm putting, or I'll be drinking heavily," the 41-year-old mother of two said.

Inkster abandoned the belly putter after one week in Hawaii and returned to the traditional club. She worked on her mechanics with her husband, concentrating on the speed of her putts more than the stroke.

"I've worked on some drills, and it's gotten better," said Inkster, a six-time major winner. "You know, putting is all confidence. I lost my confidence for a while and I'm slowly trying to get it back."

Inkster isn't too confident, however, with birdies abounding at the Randolph North Golf Course. Nearly 50 players broke 70 on Friday, but no one got lower than Inkster.

"Out here, three stroke (is) not much," she said. "I'm confident with the way I'm playing and I'm confident I can keep making birdies. If I keep making birdies, I can expand on my lead, and that's what I'm going to try to do."

Inkster will have to hold off Nancy Scranton and Dorothy Delasin, who are tied for second at 133, a stroke better than Laura Diaz and Pat Hurst. No one else is within five shots of the lead.

Scranton had seven birdies and three bogeys en route to a 68 and will play in the final pairing with Inkster on Saturday.

"It's fun to have people following you," said the 40-year-old Scranton, who claimed the last of her three titles in 2000. "We always get good crowds here on the weekend."

The crowds also can watch Annika Sorenstam, the two-time defending champion who will begin the third round eight shots off the lead. Inkster is three shots ahead of Sorenstam's tournament-record pace set last year.

"I figure if I can hover where Annika is, I'll have a good year," Inkster said.

Inkster will be tough to beat if she continues to putt well. On Friday, she made six birdies of at least 10 feet, including a 30-footer at the 14th. She said the birdies have to keep falling this weekend.

"You know, there's a lot of birdies out there," she said. "Even though I've played really well for the last two days, I've got to keep playing well or I'm going to get lapped."

Inkster has history on her side. The past three years, she has played the final two rounds of this event in 31-under, including scores of 65-64-67 on Sunday.

"Hopefully, I can do that Sunday," she said. "I'd take any one of those."

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