Akiko Fukushima's 3-under-par 67 today kept her atop the leaderboard after two rounds of the inaugural LPGA Philips Invitational, while Beth Daniel set a tour record with nine straight birdies.

Daniel's birdie binge gave her an 8-under 62 and left her tied for second with Pearl Sinn at 8-under 132, one stroke behind Fukushima.

"I sure was enjoying the ride," said Daniel, who had a sinus headache by the end of the round. She said allergies made her feel weak all afternoon.

"I was just laughing at it," Daniel said of her string of birdies, which eclipsed her personal best of five straight in a tournament. "I never got nervous. I had the right attitude all day."

The record for consecutive birdies was eight, set by Mary Beth Zimmerman at the Rail Charity Golf Classic in 1984.

Fukushima had an opening-round 64 in the event honoring longtime teacher Harvey Penick, who died in 1995 at age 90. The tournament, being played on the 6,101-yard Onion Creek Country Club course, is the LPGA's first stop in Texas since 1986.

"I didn't hit my shots as well as I did Thursday," Fukushima said through her interpreter. "I know I must play better the next two days."

Sinn shot a second straight 66.

Third-year pro Charlotta Sorenstam, who played golf at the University of Texas, registered the day's second-lowest score, a 5-under 65 that left her at 134.

Daniel's birdie run, which began on No. 7, took her from 1 over to 8 under.

Daniel, 42, thought she only had tied Zimmerman's record at No. 15 because she believed the record was nine straight birdies.

"So when I parred 16," she said, "I was kind of disappointed. I didn't know until I finished the round that I had broken the record."

The other odd twist to Daniel's record-breaking performance was that her score on the par-4 15th, with its woods, trees and a canyon making it the toughest hole on the course, was originally reported as a triple-bogey 7.

"I heard they even took me off the leaderboard at 18," Daniel said.

Winner of 32 LPGA tournaments, Daniel has struggled since rotator cuff surgery on her left shoulder in 1997. The fourth-leading money-winner in LPGA tour history -- $5,364,173.80 -- she has only three rounds in the 60s this year.

Her best finish was a tie for 22nd at the Chick-fil-A Charity event in April.

"But I've posted a few low scores of late," said Daniel, who qualified for the U.S. Open here earlier in the week by shooting a 67.

It marked the first time in her career that she was forced to qualify for the Open because she didn't rank in the top 35 on the LPGA money List this year.

"I've been playing a little better," said Daniel, who started on tour in 1979. "Today was important to me because I consider it a breakthrough round. Regardless of what happens this weekend, I'm going to have a good time."