Bradley Is Leader by 2 At Midpoint

After Pat Bradley won last week’s Nabisco Dinah Shore golf tournament, she thought about skipping the Kyocera Inamori tournament this week.

The other LPGA players wish they had been so lucky.

Bradley, who shot four-under-par 68 Friday at Bernardo Heights, took a two-stroke lead at 137 after two rounds of the Kyocera Inamori tournament. First-round leader Mindy Moore shot 73 Friday and is tied for second with Laurie Rinker at 139. Penny Hammel and Patty Sheehan are tied for fourth at 140.

Bradley, this season’s leading money winner, is attempting to win consecutive tournaments for the first time. Of Bradley’s 17 career wins, only two have come when she led entering the final round.

Said Moore: “I’m probably more comfortable where I am than having her (Bradley) chasing me. Pat’s a good come-from-behind player. You can never count her out.”

Bradley won last week after leading through three rounds. More than anything, she thinks last week’s tournament portrayed her as a no-nonsense player.

As an example, she recalled when television commentator Bob Goalby wanted to interview her during the final hole. Bradley, stunned by the intrusion, gave Goalby a couple of brief answers and proceeded to play.

“With last week’s coverage, the public might understand what makes Pat Bradley tick and what makes her go,” Bradley said. “People learned I am an intense person. I’m not out to joke with galleries. I’m out to do a job as well as I can with no funny business.” .”

From the outset Friday, Bradley took command. Starting play on the back nine, she birdied the 10th and 11th holes while hitting into a strong wind.

“I was extremely pleased with those two holes,” she said. “The wind was dead into my teeth. As I’ve said many times, I don’t try to master the wind. I just try to play it the best I can. Sometimes, I weather it better than others.”

Bradley said that the wind died out after her first three holes, then picked up on her last three.

While the wind was calm, Bradley birdied the par-4 15th hole and bogeyed the par-3 third hole. She then recorded an eagle on the 505-yard, par-5 fourth hole with a 20-foot chip shot.

“It’s anybody’s ballgame if the wind stays like this,” Bradley said. “Mistakes can be made in conditions like this. You just hope to get through it with the least amount of damage.”

Moore said she felt much better physically than she did Thursday, when she was bothered by an upset stomach. She said she had a light dinner Thursday night, took medication and went to bed at 8:30.

Moore began play Friday, by missing a two-foot par putt on the first hole and bogeying the sixth after a bad chip shot. Her only birdie was a three-foot putt on the 14th hole. Moore putted 34 times Friday, eight more times than Thursday.

“(Thursday) was like Alice in Wonderland,” Moore said. “(Friday), I didn’t have the four and five-foot putts I had (Thursday). They were almost all from 20 feet.”

Rinker, who played Friday morning, had 29 putts. She has made five birdies in each of the first two rounds.

Tournament Notes Beth Daniel, the defending champion, withdrew after nine holes Friday because of recurring back problems. . . . The tournament cut was at 148, tying the year’s previous best two months ago in Phoenix. A total of 73 players made the cut.