CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colorado, 26 June 2005 — Annika Sorenstam was a picture of frustration as she finished with bogeys at the final three holes of a second round 75, falling six shots out of the lead at the halfway stage of US Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado.

Nicole Perrot, a 21-year-old from Chile who has missed the cut in her two previous US Opens, posted a second successive 70 to lead on two under par 140, two ahead of Michelle Wie, the 15-year-old American amateur, and Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa.

Ochoa, who won last week’s LPGA tournament in Rochester, had a best of day 68, while Wie continued her dazzling run of form with a 73 for level par 142. Another member of the American teen machine, Paula Creamer, had a great 69 to move into a tie for fourth place on 143. The 18-year-old, who has already won as a rookie on the LPGA Tour this season, highlighted her round by holing out with an eight iron from 132-yards for an eagle two at the 414-yard tenth.

Furyk Clings to US PGA Lead

In Harrison, New York, Jim Furyk, seeking his first PGA triumph since 2003, fired a two-under par 69 Friday and clung to a one-stroke lead over fellow American Brian Gay after 36 holes at the US PGA Barclays Classic.

Furyk, the 2003 US Open champion, stood on eight-under 134 after two rounds at the $5.75 million event. He led by three strokes when the round began and had an eagle on the par-4 eighth hole, his 17th of the day, to stay on top.

Ireland’s Padraig Harrington was among five golfers sharing third on 136, a group that also included Australian John Senden, Japan’s Hidemichi Tanaka and Americans Len Mattiace and Kenny Perry.

Harrington and Mattiace fired 65s to climb the leaderboard. Senden signed for a 67. Tanaka and Perry each fired 68s.

Harrington had five birdies and eagled the par-5 18th hole while taking only one bogey. The Irishman won his first US PGA title earlier this season at the Honda Classic.

Furyk, 35, came close to ending his win drought earlier this season, sharing second at the Heritage Classic in April and losing a four-hole playoff to Fiji’s Vijay Singh last month in Charlotte. Singh, who won here in 1993 and 1995, fired a 71 to share ninth at 139 with American Tom Pernice. Defending champion Sergio Garcia of Spain finished with four bogeys in a row for a second-round 72.

Romero Stays on Track for Vintage Win in France

In Saint-Quentin, Argentine Eduardo Romero kept alive his hopes of becoming the oldest winner on the European Tour, despite closing with a bogey in a French Open third round dominated by home players yesterday.

Romero, whose 51st birthday comes up on July 17, dropped two shots in the last three holes to slip back into a three-way tie for the lead with Frenchmen Jean Van de Velde and defending champion Jean-Francois Remesy at nine-under 204.

Remesy, the first French winner of his home championship for 35 years, made his move for back-to-back titles with a four-under-par 67 while Van de Velde shot a 71 and Romero 72 for the trio to finish a stroke ahead of the field.

Although Romero was disappointed with his late stumble, he remained confident he could eclipse Irishman Des Smyth as the tour’s oldest winner. Smyth won the 2001 Madeira Island Open aged 48 and 34 days.