Rosales 6 shots behind; Delasin makes 149 cut

HUTCHINSON, Kansas – Jennifer Rosales of the Philippines gained ground in the 2002 US Women’s Open Championship Friday, firing a two-over-par 72 to jump from a share of 41st place to a tie for 17th after two rounds at the Prairie Dunes course here.

Rosales, the former US NCAA individual champion now based in Monterey Park in California, birdied the second and seventh holes – quite enough to atone for her bogeys on the first, ninth, 12th and 16th. She now has a 145 total, five-over for the tournament.

The 23-year-old Rosales posted an average drive of 270 yards, hit 10-of-14 fairways, reached the greens in regulation nine times and stroked 29 putts in the second round where she played alongside Charlotta Sorenstam of Sweden and Leigh Ann Mills of the US.

Rosales, whose best finish since joining the LPGA in 2000 was a tie for third in The Office Depot last year, will head into the third round just six strokes off joint leaders Laura Diaz, Juli Inkster and Annika Sorenstam.

Joining Rosales in the money rounds was Fil-Am Dorothy Delasin, the 2000 LPGA top rookie and now a three-leg winner who recovered with a 73 after an opening 76 to make the cut pegged at 149. She’s in the middle of a 12-player group that includes Korea’s Se Ri Pak.

Delasin, two-time winner of the Giant Eagle Classic (2000 and 2001) and conqueror of the 2001 Samsung World Championship, shot four birdies on the seventh, ninth, 14th and 15th in a flight that included Kellie Kuehne of the US and Gloria Park of Korea.

For the second straight round, Delasin, who will turn 22 next month, bogeyed the first, 11th, 12th, 13th, 16th and 17th holes. Overall, she now has seven birdies, 13 pars and 16 bogeys 36 holes into one of the four majors in women’s golf.

Among the LPGA stars who missed the cut were Betsy King (150), Jennie Lidback (151), Emilee Klein (151), Karrie Webb (152), Patty Sheenan (154), Tammie Green (155), Marisa Baena (155), Wendy Ward (156), Pat Hurst (157) and Nancy Lopez (160).