Hurst Shows Again She’s a Major Force

Pat Hurst made six consecutive birdies Friday in the du Maurier Classic at Windsor, Canada, and served noticed that Se Ri Pak isn’t the only woman capable of winning two LPGA major championships this year.

Hurst, who won her first major in the Dinah Shore in March, shot a seven-under-par 65 and shared the lead with Brandie Burton after two rounds of the lowest scoring in LPGA major championship history.

Burton, whose birdie-eagle finish gave her a 64, and Hurst were at 132, one stroke ahead of Betsy King going into the weekend, with Annika Sorenstam and Meg Mallon another stroke behind at 134.

While big galleries and big expectations followed Pak in her bid to win a third consecutive major, Hurst made one putt after another with only about 100 people looking on.

That didn’t seem to bother Hurst, 28, whose victory in the Dinah Shore has been all but forgotten in the euphoria over Pak.

“You can’t take that away from me, and you can’t take away from what Se Ri has done,” Hurst said. “What she’s done the last five weeks has been unbelievable.

“I’m just quietly going along, and that’s the way I like it.”

Pak, trying to become the first woman since Pat Bradley in 1986 to win three majors in a season and the first golfer since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three in a row, shot a two-under 70 that left her seven strokes off the lead.

Her five-under 139 through two rounds wasn’t nearly enough to keep pace with the leaders, who had few problems at the Essex Golf and Country Club on a sunny, sometimes breezy day.

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Neal Lancaster shot a six-under 65 to catch Nick Price at 10 under for a share of the second-round lead in the PGA Tour’s St. Jude Classic at Memphis, Tenn.

Price backed up his opening-round 65 with a 67, and Lancaster played the front nine in five under, including three consecutive birdies.

The big move was made by Glen Day, who eagled both par-fives on the front side and shot a 64, the low round of the tournament. Day was alone in third at nine under.

Day became the 13th player to card two eagles in one round on the PGA Tour this year. He said a chip from 30 yards short of the green on the 525-yard No. 3 “just happened to go in.”

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Bob Duval plays his best golf when his son is in the gallery. Of course, PGA Tour pro David Duval usually has other commitments.

David was able to make it to the Utah Showdown at Park City this week, and his father responded with a six-under 66. He tied Gil Morgan for the lead after the first round of the 54-hole Senior PGA tournament at Park Meadows Country Club.

Morgan and Duval were a dozen strokes better than baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, who carded a 78 in his debut on the senior tour.

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In Front

Leaders after Friday’s play (Complete scores, C12):

du MAURIER CLASSIC--Par 72

Brandie Burton: 68-64--132 -12

Pat Hurst: 67-65--132 -12

Betsy King: 64-69--133 -11

ST. JUDE CLASSIC--Par 71

Neal Lancaster: 67-65--132 -10

Nick Price: 65-67--132 -10

Glen Day: 69-64--133 -9

UTAH SHOWDOWN--Par 72

Gil Morgan: 34-32--66 -6

Bob Duval: 33-33--66 -6

Jerry McGee: 33-35--68 -4

John Jacobs: 33-35--68 -4