GOLF ROUNDUP : Okamoto Putters to a 64, Leads by 2

Ayako Okamoto had trouble with her driving, but she’s putting along quite nicely.

Okamoto, who has never won a major tournament, had an eagle and six birdies Friday en route to an seven-under-par 64 and a two-shot lead after two rounds of the LPGA Championship at Bethesda, Md.

“I wasn’t hitting the driver today,” Okamoto said. “It proves that even if you’re hitting the ball badly, if your putting is good, then you can play a good round of golf. My putting really saved me.”

Okamoto, 40, has won 16 tournaments and well over $2 million in her 11-year career, but she is still in pursuit of her first victory in a major. For that to occur, she said, “Everything has to happen your way.”

Okamoto’s putter was as hot as the 96-degree weather as she made every putt of 10 feet or less in tying the course record.

Okamoto had one bogey, and missed only two greens to reach the halfway point at 134. Pat Bradley had four consecutive birdies in a round of 68 that put her in a tie at 136 with Meg Mallon, who made four birdies on the back nine and also had a 68.

Deb Richard shot a 70 to finish the day at 137. Barb Bunkowski, with a 70, and Rosie Jones, with a 69, are at 138. Amy Alcott and Shirley Furlong had 70s for 139.

First-round leader Deborah McHaffie, who shot a 66 Thursday, had a triple bogey and three bogeys that led to an 81 and a 147 total.

Former U.S. Open and Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller tore up a course he helped design with a seven-under-par 64 to share the lead with left-hander Russ Cochran midway through the $1-million St. Jude Classic at Memphis, Tenn.

Zoeller, who began the day five shots off the pace set by Jim Thorpe and Rick Fehr, carded four consecutive birdies from the ninth through 12th holes. Zoeller also birdied holes four through six.

Zoeller and Cochran, who had a 67, have 36-hole totals of 133, one shot better than Fulton Allem (65), Mark Brooks (66), Jeff Maggert (66), David Sutherland (69), Greg Bruckner (67), Lee Janzen (68) and Fehr (70).

Thorpe shot 74 and is at 138.

Jim Woodward matched the course record of 62 set last year by Tom Kite and Larry Silveria, and finished the day at 139.

Larry Laoretti, Jack Kiefer and Jim Colbert all had four-under-par 66s to share the first-round lead in the Southwestern Bell Seniors Tournament at Kansas City.

Doug Sanders, Don Massengale and Ray Beallo are one shot back at 67. Don January, Al Geiberger, Frank Beard, Chi Chi Rodriguez and Bruce Devlin finished at 68.

Colbert, a Kansas City native who played football at Kansas State, birdied two of the first three holes and declared it the best round he’s played in 11 Senior events.

Laoretti grabbed a share of the lead with a 70-foot downhill birdie putt on the par-4 17th.