Se Ri Pak takes two shot advantage

Annika Sörenstam played a historic round of golf Friday that qualified her for the LPGA Hall of Fame. It only left her tied for second place in the Samsung World Championships.

Se Ri Pak finished the long rain-delayed 36-hole day at 7-under 137, two strokes in front of Sörenstam and four others.

Sörenstam needed to complete 18 holes as the last step in adding the Hall of Fame to her illustrious career. She got that with a 2-under 70 in the first 18 holes and followed with a 69 at the Tournament Players Club at The Woodlands.

Sörenstam finished her second round just as darkness fell. She thought she'd have to return early Saturday to complete the round.

"It's a nice surprise to finish and get a good night's rest and come back tomorrow strong," Sörenstam said. "It's great obviously, a great week to do it to come to the World Championships and do it."

Sörenstam is the defending champion and she also won in 1995 and 1996. There are two other three-time winners in the field, Beth Daniel (1980, 1981, 1994) and Juli Inkster (1997, 1998, 2000).

Other former winners in the 20-player field are Meg Mallon (1991), Pak (1999) and Rosie Jones (1988).

Pak opened with a 69 and then improved one stroke in the second round.

Tied with Sörenstam in second were Rachel Teske, Daniel, and Angela Stanford.

Sörenstam won the 2002 event with a tournament-record 22-under 266, beating Cristie Kerr by six shots at Hiddenbrooke Golf Club in Vallejo, Calif.

Rain forced postponement of Thursday's first round after several golfers had teed off. Tournament officials decided to start the field over again on Friday and play 36 holes with a 30-minute break between rounds.

Pak held a one-shot lead over five players, including Sörenstam, after the first round.

"I'm very pleased and excited, now I've got to turn around and play again," Sörenstam said between rounds. "It's a little different feeling. I was thinking the last couple of holes `Let's don't fall in a hole or anything."'

Sörenstam hit her tee shot in the water on 18 and still saved par.

"I said `I'll make par anyway, I'm just going to do it,"' Sörenstam said. "I was pleased with that." She did that and more. In her second round, she challenged for the lead, going 6 under for the tournament with five holes to play in the second round but she bogeyed the next hole and settled for the tie for second. "I want to finish well in this tournament and play well, " Sörenstam said. "Ten years, 15 years that's a lot of golf. It's not just one hole that I can remember. If I can just finish good on Sunday then I'll remember it sweeter than hitting a shot in the water."

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