McGill leads with record round

Jill McGill shot an 8-under-par 64 Friday to take a three-stroke lead after two rounds of the Wachovia LPGA Classic.

McGill, a nine-year LPGA Tour veteran looking for her first victory, birdied six of seven holes from the eighth through 14th for a tournament 36-hole record 14-under 130, four strokes better than the previous mark set by Moira Dunn in 2001.

Soo-Yun Kang (66) and Suzann Pettersen (63) were three strokes back at 11-under 133. Shi Hyun Ahn (67) and Grace Park (66) are another stroke back at 10 under, while McGill's first round co-leaders Hilary Lunke (69) and Laura Diaz (69) are tied with Lorena Ochoa (68) at 135.

The 32-year-old McGill has tried to put less pressure on herself, keeping her life and golf in perspective.

"A lot of my friends have kids now, and you just kind of realize that, you know what, stuff isn't so big," she said after joking about job-hunting at fast-food restaurants. "You see them with their kids and you just realize that (golf) is not the end-all.

"As long as you're enjoying yourself and trying, that's all you can ask for."

A couple of fortunate bounces helped, too.

McGill groaned in disgust after leaving her tee shot on the par-3 12th short and right of the pin. But she made a 20-foot uphill putt for birdie.

On the next hole, the longest par 5 at Berkleigh Country Club, she put her tee shot into the rough, hit a 7-wood into the right rough and then dropped her third shot 3 feet from the pin to set up another birdie.

Pettersen surged into contention with the best round of the day. After starting the round four strokes behind the leaders and opening with a bogey, she birdied five of the next eight holes and added four more on the back nine for a round of 9 under.

Kang offset three bogeys with birdies on four of her last five holes to move past Ochoa, who also had an inconsistent round that included seven birdies and three bogeys.

Park birdied the 18th to break a four-way tie at 135.

Sitting out parts of the last two months with what she called "golfer's back," Park was disappointed to miss time after winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship, her first career major victory. She is working her way back into form.

"I just decided to let go of the last two months and start over this week," Park said. "I knew that my game was still there, it was just a matter of getting healthy again."

Si Re Pak, the 2002 champion, withdrew from the tournament midway through a disastrous round that included three double-bogeys. Tournament officials said Pak, who opened with a 2-under 70, was ill. She did not speak to reporters.

Dottie Pepper, who last month announced plans to retire after this season, withdrew because of soreness caused by a pinched nerve in her neck. She had a 70 in the first round.

Tonya Gill missed the cut after rounds of 75-73, but did win a new car after making a hole-in-one at the par-3, 160-yard No. 15 with a 5-iron.

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