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Golf Notebook: Diaz, Kemp are tied for first at Jamie Farr
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Published: July 4, 2009
Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic: Laura Diaz tied Sarah Kemp for the second-round lead yesterday in Sylvania, Ohio.
Diaz appeared to be discouraged with the putt halfway to the final hole but then celebrated when the 12-foot birdie attempt went in, giving her a 4-under 67 and a share of the lead with Kemp (63) at 11-under 131.
Kemp had never led in her year and a half as a pro, while Diaz is winless since two victories in 2002.
Morgan Pressel (68) was a shot back, and Natalie Gulbis (65), Seon Hwa Lee (63) and Jiyai Shin (67) followed at 9 under.
Michelle Wie, trying for her first professional win, three-putted the final hole for double bogey and a 69. That left her three strokes behind along with Suzann Pettersen (69), Lindsey Wright (68), Kyeong Bae (64) and Eunjung Yi (66).
Wie needs to win the Farr to get into the field for next week's U.S. Women's Open at Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, Pa.
Diaz has struggled with her swing the past two years but has found some answers the past two days at Highland Meadows Golf Club. She shared the first-round lead with Pressel and Song-Hee Kim after shooting a 64.
Yesterday, Diaz parred the first 12 holes before playing her final six holes in 4 under. Over that span she hit 9-iron approach shots to three, 15 and 12 feet and then rolled in the birdie putts.
On the final hole, she had played the putt to go right but appeared to have left it too far outside the hole. The instant the ball left her putter face, she dropped her shoulders in disappointment and stepped toward the hole to tap in her second putt. But the ball died at the hole and fell in the right side of the cup.
Kemp started early to post a low number, matching the best round of the day.
Teeing off on No. 10 first, she turned in 2 under and then birdied holes 2 and 3 before stringing together four straight birdies.
North & South Amateur: David Chung of Fayetteville and Wes Bryan advanced to today's championship round at Pinehurst No. 2, after yesterday's play.
All four morning matches yesterday went to the 17th hole or beyond. Matt Parziale was 1-down at the turn in the quarterfinal match against Bryan, but won the 10th with a par and the 11th with a birdie to take the lead at 1-up. Parziale then made a 50-foot uphill putt on the 451-yard par-4 12th hole for a matching par against Bryan to retain his lead. But bogeys on the 14th and 15th to Bryan's pars turned the match, leaving Bryan with a final birdie on the 16th to settle the match 2-and-1.
Chung's earlier match against Patrick Reed was all square through 16 when Reed's tee shot from the par-3 17th found the left greenside bunker. His bunker shot took him to a foot from the hole, leaving Chung with a long birdie attempt that missed by inches, taking match to the 18th hole all square.
Chung's second shot on the par 4, 445-yard 18th landed 20 feet from the hole, but Reed's shot flew the green. Reed's third shot hit the side of the green and rolled back into the swale, and his fourth shot settled two feet from the hole. Chung's birdie attempt landed a foot from the pin, and par was conceded for the win.
Bryan was paired with Patrick Rada, his South Carolina teammate and roommate, in his afternoon match. They traded pars and birdies in the front, but Rada carded back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9 to Bryan's pars to take the match to 2-up Bryan. A Bryan birdie on 10 followed by a Rada bogey on 13 to Bryan's par increased the lead to 4-up, and a strong second shot by Bryan on the par-5 16th landed his ball three feet from the cup. A quick eagle putt by Bryan sealed the match, to finish at 4-and-2.
The final 36-hole match of the 109th playing of the tournament is scheduled to begin at 8 this morning on Pinehurst No. 2, with the second 18 holes beginning around noon.
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