Brazil's Angela Park, helped by a 30-foot eagle putt at the par-five second, forged one stroke clear early in the US Women's Open second round on Friday. Six shots off the pace overnight, the 19-year-old fired a six-under-par 67 to vault to the top of the leaderboard with a six-under total of 140. Park, seeking her maiden LPGA Tour title, putted superbly on the difficult greens at Interlachen Country Club to set the pace in the third women's major of the year. Finland's Minea Blomqvist birdied her final hole, the par-four ninth, for a 69 to lie one stroke back at five under with South Korea's Park Inbee (69). American Paula Creamer (72) was at four under, level with Korean Jang Jeong (69). Overnight leader Oh Ji-young, who opened with a 67, and world number one Lorena Ochoa were among the late starters. Park, who tied for second in last year's US Women's Open at Pine Needles, birdied three of her first six holes on a cool, overcast morning to reach the turn in three-under 34. After finding the first cut of rough to the left off the second tee, her 11th hole, she struck a five-wood to 30 feet above the cup and coolly sank the left-to-right breaking putt to get to five under overall. Park picked up further shots at the fourth and fifth before collecting her only bogey of the round at the par-four sixth. Three-time champion Annika Sorenstam, making her swansong appearance at the tournament, missed a four-footer for eagle at the last to card a 70. That left her at one under, five off the early lead. Larrazabal, Lynn in the lead In France, Spanish tour rookie Pablo Larrazabal and Briton David Lynn led the French Open at the halfway stage on Friday by a stroke on seven-under-par 135. Three of the European Tour's leading lights, former European number ones Lee Westwood and Colin Montgomerie, who both shot 68, and last year's US Open winner Angel Cabrera, with a 70, are in the group in third place, two strokes behind. Overnight leader Larrazabal bogeyed the 16th and 17th but his run of three birdies in four holes from the 10th for a second round one-under 70 enabled him to set the morning target. Lynn then matched him by chipping in for a closing birdie in a round of 65. While Lynn has the 2004 Dutch Open title to his name, Larrazabal, ranked 481st in the world, has little experience to call on at the weekend. The Barcelona 25-year-old, brother of 2002 British Amateur champion Alejandro, can be the first in a family of top golfers to capture a professional title if he can ward off some illustrious names. Montgomerie, 45 on Monday, birdied the last two holes to get into strong contention for the first time since winning last year's European Open. India's Sheev Kapur's 63, just a stroke off the National course record, hauled him to within three strokes of the lead. – Reuters __
