Juli Inkster isn't playing her best golf in the du Maurier Classic. The scary thing for the rest of the field is that she's still in the lead, halfway home to a third straight major championship and a place in the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Despite sloppy bogeys on two par-5s and a constant battle to find a swing she could trust, Inkster pieced together a 3-under 69 today that left her tied with Canadian Dawn Coe-Jones.

"I made a lot of mistakes that I got away with," said Inkster, at 7-under 137 and the only player to break 70 in both rounds at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club.

Under cool, cloudy skies that produced showers in the afternoon, Coe-Jones had the best round of the tournament with a bogey-free 65 that gave the Canadian gallery another contender to celebrate.

Laura Davies, bombing drives in the thin air just below the Canadian Rockies, made four birdies on the five par-5s for a 66 and was one stroke behind, along with Catriona Matthew of Scotland.

"I'd want to be one shot in front of Juli on Sunday afternoon because I think that will probably win," Davies said.

Inkster wasn't convinced of that. At least, she didn't look that way on the course.

She frowned. She muttered. She slumped her shoulders when her ball vanished into shaggy collar of rough around the greens.

"It wasn't pretty," she said. "But I just hung in there. I hit some good iron shots when I needed to hit them, so it wasn't like it was all bad."

After a three-putt from 18 feet for a bogey on No. 3, a par-5 and the easiest hole on the course, Inkster hit an 8-iron into 10 feet for birdie on the next hole. And two holes after chunking a sand wedge into the bunker for bogey on the par-5 fifth, she chipped in for birdie.

Inkster rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on her last hole for a 69, broke into a wide smile and walked off the green giving hugs and kisses to her playing partners and caddies. Ultimately, all she wanted was to get herself into position to become only the fifth golfer to win three majors in a year, so she had few complaints after signing her scorecard.

"I really think every time I tee it up, I feel like I can win," she said. "I feel like it could be my week. I like my position -- two more days of golf, and looking forward to it."

A victory would give Inkster enough points to become only the 17th player in the LPGA Hall of Fame. It also would link her with Pat Bradley, Mickey Wright and Babe Zaharias as the only women to win three majors in a year. Ben Hogan accomplished it in 1953.

Lorie Kane, Canada's best hope and a hero-in-waiting should she win, got off to another slow start but still managed a 72 and was at 142 along with Beth Daniel, Cristie Kerr and Charlotta Sorenstam.

Five-time winner Karrie Webb still hasn't broken par at Priddis Greens. She had a 72 and was eight strokes behind at 145. Se Ri Pak and Dinah Shore champion Dottie Pepper were at 146.

Seeing Inkster's name atop the leader board is no surprise. She hasn't finished worse that sixth since the first week of May, has a streak of 27 consecutive rounds at par or better and also has those two majors -- the U.S. Open and LPGA Championship.

Coe-Jones is another story. Her 65 was only the fourth time in 50 rounds this year she has been in the 60s. She took only 26 putts and was never really in jeopardy of making bogey.

"It was a day I've been waiting for all year," she said.

Inkster seems to get these results whenever she tees it up in a major. She was tied for the lead after 36 holes in the U.S. Open and LPGA, and has clearly become one of the best closers on the LPGA Tour.

"Her confidence level couldn't be higher," Davies said. "I know when my confidence is high, you feel invincible. I'm sure she thinks she will win this week. And the way she has started, I have every reason to believe that."

DIVOTS: Lisa Hackney of England recorded the second ace of the tournament, a 7-iron from 136 yards on No. 15. Her scorecard began 5-5-6-5-5-1. ... Lorie Kane says winning the du Maurier would be the equivalent of a Canadian hockey player on a Canadian team winning the Stanley Cup. So, who's her favorite NHL team? "The Red Wings," she said. ... A.J. Eathorne, a top rookie from Canada who tried to play despite an injured back, got through the seventh hole when she decided to withdraw Friday. .... Laura Davies hit a decent drive on No. 18, but still got her approach to pin-high on the 473-yard hole with a 7-iron. ... Inkster, saying she had a million swing thoughts in her head, went to the driving range after her round before taking the entourage up to Banff Springs. "Maybe I'll find a swing in Banff," she said.

AP