Nordqvist takes lead at LPGA Championship

HAVRE DE GRACE, Md. — As a young golfer in Sweden, Anna Nordqvist patterned her career after the best female golfer her country has ever produced — Annika Sorenstam.

No comparisons can be made yet between Sorenstam, the leading money winner in LPGA Tour history, and Nord?qvist, a rookie with $23,132 in career earnings.

This much can be said about Nordqvist, though: She sure knows how to play under pressure in a major tournament.

Nordqvist made a 36-foot birdie putt on the final hole Friday to break a tie with Nicole Castrale and take the lead after two rounds in the LPGA Championship.

Nordqvist shot a 70 for an 8-under 136. Castrale stumbled at the outset and charged to the finish while shooting a par 72, and Katherine Hull (69) and Lindsey Wright (68) were 6 under.

Nordqvist began the day in second place, one stroke behind Castrale. Starting on No. 10, Nordqvist birdied three of the first eight holes before losing momentum.

She was 2 over during a nine-hole stretch before making her 11th birdie of the tournament, on No. 9.

Playing in her first major as a professional, Nordqvist insisted she felt no pressure on the Bulle Rock course.

"I was just trying to go out there and have fun and enjoy the day," said Nordqvist, who made the cut in the Women's British Open the last two years as an amateur. "Just a lot of patience, hit fairways, hit greens."

Birdies on Nos. 10, 15 and 17 dropped her to 9 under, and she refused to be bothered by bogeys on 18 and 4.

"I knew I was hitting it solid. I just tried to pace myself and forward to the next holes," Nordqvist said.

Sounds like something Sorenstam would say before she retired.

"Annika has always been my role model, and I always looked up to what she's accomplished during her career," Nordqvist said. "She's really been a meaningful influence in motivating me to work harder. She shows that someone from Sweden can really succeed."

Starting her round on No. 10, Castrale parred the first two holes before hitting her tee shot on the par-3 12th hole into the water. She then two-putted from 20 feet.

"Obviously it wasn't an ideal start, but going into 14 I had made one bad swing," Castrale said.

She three-putted from 12 feet on No. 14 for a bogey, yet remained confident.