Sorenstam Grabs du Maurier Lead

Annika Sorenstam’s course this week in the du Maurier Classic is the prudent one: fairways and greens. Putt for birdie, but be satisfied with par.

So far, so good. In the first two rounds of the LPGA’s last major tournament of 2000, Sorenstam shot consecutive three-under-par 69s to take a one-stroke lead over Canada’s Lorie Kane at Alymer, Canada.

Juli Inkster, Laura Philo and tour rookie Diana D’Alessio were two strokes back, and Meg Mallon, like Inkster a fixture on leaderboards in the majors, was three shots back.

Sorenstam figures she has the formula for success at a major championship, one she used to such good effect when she won the U.S. Women’s Open in 1995 and 1996.

“There are pins that I just don’t go for, because if you get slightly bounced or pull it or push it, you’re struggling to make par,” she said Friday. “Today I didn’t make as many birdies as I did yesterday . . . but I didn’t make any bogeys, either. If you add it up, that’s what it’s all about.”

With the small greens at the 6,403-yard Royal Ottawa Golf Club course, Sorenstam said just getting on the putting surface guarantees a golfer a reasonable birdie putt.

“I don’t see the benefit of being too aggressive,” she said. “That’s not my strategy.”

Sorenstam made four birdies, one bogey, hit 16 greens in regulation and, for the most part, stayed out of trouble.

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Woody Austin wanted only to keep heading in the right direction. It might be time for him to think about winning the Buick Open.

Austin put on another impressive display with his irons, making five of his six birdie putts from inside five feet in a round of five-under 67 that gave him a two-stroke lead over Rocco Mediate going into the final two rounds at Grand Blanc, Mich.

“It was just important for me to play aggressive like I did yesterday, not be happy with where I was and just keep trying to move forward,” said Austin, who is at 14 under.

Mediate birdied the first four holes on the back nine in his round of 64, and Hal Sutton had his second consecutive 67 and was two more strokes behind.

Tiger Woods shot another two-under 70 and is 10 strokes behind Austin.

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Tom Jenkins shot his second consecutive four-under 68 for a share of the second-round lead with Leonard Thompson in the AT&T; Canada Senior Open at Winnipeg. Jenkins birdied the par-five 18th to match Thompson at eight-under 136 on the St. Charles Country Club course.

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Marcy Newton ended Aree Wongluekiet’s run in the U.S. Women’s Amateur, beating the 14-year-old Thai star 1-up in the semifinals at Portland, Ore. Newton, 22, of High Point, N.C., will face Laura Myerscough, 20, of Charleston, Ill., in today’s 36-hole final. Myerscough beat Yvonne Choe, 17, of Temple City, 2 and 1.