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Sorenstam 10 back Hurst makes six birdies on back nine for three-stroke lead
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Pat Hurst overcame a rocky start with six birdies on the back nine Friday to take a three-stroke lead after two rounds of The Office Depot. Annika Sorenstam's bid for a record-tying fourth consecutive victory derailed with a 1-over 73 that dropped her 10 shots back with one round remaining. "I need a miracle," the Swede said. Hurst, the first-round leader, shot her second consecutive 5-under 67 for a 134 total and a three-shot lead over Swede Liselotte Neumann. Kristi Albers, whose lone LPGA victory was in 1993, shot a 72 and was tied at 141 with Michele Redman in the $800,000 event that ends Saturday to avoid a conflict with Easter Sunday. Rookie Angela Stanford, Scotland's Kathryn Marshall and Dina Ammaccapane were tied for fifth at 142. After a birdie on the second hole, Hurst ran into trouble. She bogeyed the 185-yard fourth hole, hitting a 6-iron into a bunker and then failing to get up and down. "I felt like I had hit a good putt, I just misread it," she said. "I thought it would break and it didn't at all." Hurst dropped two more strokes with a double-bogey on the 379-yard fifth. Her tee shot sailed right, a 5-iron was short and she chipped to 30 feet before three-putting. "I just thought, 'Keep your head in the ballgame,' and who knows where I'll be at the end of the day," she said. "I really turned it on when I got to the back nine." Hurst made six birdies, including 25-foot putts on the 10th and 17th. On the par-5 15th, the ball hit the flag and dropped within 8 feet for birdie. "I feel very relaxed out there," she said. Hurst is trying to become the first American to win on the LPGA Tour this year. The first eight tournaments had foreign winners, including the last three won by Sorenstam. Sorenstam had a bogey and no birdies as she struggled with the small, bumpy greens at Wilshire Country Club. She was tied for 10th at even-par 144. "I hit 15 greens, I didn't make anything," she said. "I'm not in the position I'd like to be in, but that has happened before." Neumann wants to end the second-longest losing streak of her 13-year pro career. She hasn't won since 1998, although she tied for second last year in the Women's British Open. "I haven't really put myself in the position too many times to really have a chance the last day," she said. "It takes a lot of patience and I'm having a hard time being patient." Neumann hit 16 greens in regulation, and unlike Hurst, had her best showing on the front nine. She had five birdies, including a 30-foot putt on No. 4. Her round of 67 included bogeys on Nos. 5 and 14 and left her at 137. "I haven't had any three-putts yet and I made some really long putts," she said. "The greens have been really kind to me." Neumann was briefly tied for the lead before Hurst came on strong on the back nine. "I'm going to have to come off to a really good start to try to put any pressure on Pat. She's such a consistent player. She's very strong off the tee," Neumann said. "The good part for me is I've been playing the front nine really well these last two days." Divots: Rookie Jennifer Hubbard aced the 155-yard 18th to complete a round of 71. She used a 7-iron and the ball bounced once before rolling in. If Hubbard had waited until Saturday, she would've won a car. ... Se Ri Pak shot 77 for a 6-over 150 total and missed the cut by one stroke. ... Defending champion Grace Park squeaked in at 149. ... Hall of Famer Betsy King was at 145 and Juli Inkster at 146. ... Laura Davies shot 79-72 for a 7-over 151 total and missed the cut for the second time this year. ... Also missing the cut was tournament host Amy Alcott, who shot 80 and finished at 13-over 157.
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