Park takes second-round lead

MURRELLS INLET, S.C. (AP) -- One skinny little tree did more than the heat or the rest of the field to slow down South Korea's Grace Park.

Park, who held onto a one-stroke lead over Kristal Parker going into today's third round of the Kathy Ireland Greens.com Classic, shot a 4-under 68 for a 10-under 134 total on Wachesaw Plantation's East course Friday.

Park, the 21-year-old former Arizona State star in her first season on the LPGA tour, started off on No. 10 and birdied eight of her first 12 holes to reach 14 under.

Then came the tree.

She was forced to take a penalty drop for an unplayable lie on No. 5 after her tee shot hit a tree and bounced into the woods on the 384-yard, par-4 hole.

''It was a skinny little tree that I hit, and I never thought that it would go that far back,'' said Park, the 1998 U.S. Amateur champion. ''I'm over it and I wish it didn't happen, but it was just that one shot.

''It was not that bad, especially since I had so many good shots out there today in the beginning. I didn't let it get me down because that is golf and that's it.''

She dropped four strokes with a double-bogey on No. 5 and consecutive bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8.

''It was hot,'' Park said. ''I didn't really feel that good out there this morning and maybe that was good for me, but I was not really fatigued out there because you just have to drink plenty of water and I felt better at the end of the round.''

Parker, winless in six seasons on the tour, shot a bogey-free 66.

''I only hit nine greens, so I wasn't really hitting the ball great, but I did the best I could do,'' Parker said. ''I was very fortunate that my putter was feeling really good in my hands. It was a nice change to feel good with the putter today.

''It was pretty toasty out there and the air was really humid, so it seemed the ball was not going quite as far. I had one of those sunbrellas so I was able to keep the sun off during my round and it felt about 10 degrees cooler out there.''

Cristie Kerr was two back after a 68. Michelle McGann, who shared the first-round lead with Park, shot a 71 to drop into a fourth-place tie at 137 with Juli Inkster (68), Pat Hurst (66), Sweden's Liselotte Neumann and Peru's Jenny Lidback (70).

Kerr was paired with Park.

''She was up about eight or nine shots, but I knew that there was still just so much golf to play,'' Kerr said. ''You can't look at Friday and think that things will stay the same until Sunday, there is just too much golf left.''