The toughest test in golf doesn't allow three rounds of 64 and more than 100 others under par after only two days.

A 36-hole score of even par is supposed to be good enough to be near the lead in the U.S. Women's Open.

At Old Waverly Golf Club, it was barely enough to make the cut.

The Open's reputation as being the toughest test in golf took another beating today when Lorie Kane added her name to a growing list of records with an 8-under-par 64 for a share of the lead with Juli Inkster.

Kane's 64 tied the Women's Open record in relation to par set by Helen Alfredsson five years ago and matched by Kelli Kuehne on Thursday.

If that wasn't enough, Becky Iverson gave Old Waverly another jolt with a 64 of her own in the second round that put her just two strokes off the lead.

"That was a lot of fun," Iverson said. "I think that for people who play on the LPGA, this is more like just every week you have a tournament. For some of the amateurs who qualify, it's probably a bigger deal to them."

The USGA is fond of saying that it doesn't want to embarrass the best players, only identify them.

The trouble is, no one can really identify with that's going on at Old Waverly.

"Ten under is not going to win this tournament," Inkster said. "You've got to go out and play aggressive. You've got to go out and make some birdies."

Kane and Inkster (69) were at 10-under 134 and led by one stroke over Kuehne, who avoided bogey for the second straight day but only managed a 71.

The scoring record for the Women's Open is 10-under set by Alison Nicholas two years ago at Pumpkin Ridge. Topping that shouldn't be a problem unless the fairways shrink from the size of a runway to a bowling lane, the rough gets an overdose of Miracle Gro and the USGA decides to erect windmills on the greens.

The record for sub-par rounds in a Women's Open is 89, set in 1993 at Crooked Stick. Through only two rounds at Old Waverly, the number was already past 100.

Is this the U.S. Women's Open or the LPGA Shoprite Classic?

"I think you have to look a lot at the weather," said Dottie Pepper, who was at 7-under 137 along with U.S. Amateur champion Grace Park and Sherri Steinhauer. "To be that far under par and have only a one-shot lead, I think you've got to have a lot of things cooperating.

"Mother Nature is dictating a lot more of this than what has been termed an easy course."

Anything would look easy compared to last year at Blackwolf Run, where Se Ri Pak and amateur Jenny Chuasiriporn finished 72 holes at 6-over-par.

Still, the USGA's venture to the Deep South is downright hospitable.

Pak, the defending champion, was at 138 and Alfredsson, Karrie Webb, Kelly Robbins and Betsy King were still in the hunt at 4-under 140. Chuasiriporn shot 74, missing the cut with her 151 total.

The cut was the lowest in the 54-year history of the Women's Open at even-par 144. The previous low was 3-over at Crooked Stick.

Among those heading home were Laura Davies, who had a 40 on the back nine to finish at 146; Nancy Lopez, who had called this her best chance to win that elusive Open; and Annika Sorenstam, who now has missed the cut in two of the last three years since winning consecutive Opens.

One day after her 64, Kuehne played Open kind of golf by hitting 15 greens and never putting herself in position to make bogey. Too bad this wasn't an Open kind of day.

"I feel very comfortable and very confident with shooting 1-under today," she said. "You can't shoot 64 every day at the U.S. Open."

No, but it appears somebody will.

Kane, the gregarious 34-year-old from Prince Edward Island, birdied the first three holes and then hit it stiff on the back nine for five birdies to match her lowest round as a professional.

Kane still hasn't won on tour, but all signs point to her as the answer to a perceived lack of charisma on the LPGA. She spent 10 years as a synchronized swimmer, learning to burst out of the water with a smile to score presentation points.

Her amicable personality has been scoring big points on tour. Having turned pro only five years ago, the former sales agent for Moosehead Brewery is thrilled to be playing golf for a living, let alone being in contention in the Women's Open.

"Promoting beer came easy," Kane said. "Promoting the LPGA Tour comes even easier.''

Inkster, who brings her 5-year-old and 9-year-old daughters with her on tour, is going through a resurgence in what has been a forgotten career. Like Tiger Woods, she won three straight U.S. Amateur titles. Like Pak, she won two majors as a rookie.

A victory this weekend would leave Inkster, 38, one major shy of the career grand slam. She had a chance in 1992 with a two-stroke lead on the 71st hole of the Open, but Patty Sheehan birdied the last two holes, then defeated Inkster in a playoff.

"That was seven years ago," Inkster said. "I feel like I'm a better player now, and maybe I can handle it a little better. Who knows? I'm going to have fun trying."

As Old Waverly has shown for two days, having fun is not a problem.