LPGA P&G BEAUTY NORTHWEST ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP: Music to her ears

ROGERS - Meena Lee took up golf because she was tired of piano practice.

She made the right choice.

Lee, of South Korea, seized the second-round clubhouse lead with a 7-under-par 65 that put her at 12 under for the tournament at the LPGA P&G Beauty Northwest Arkansas Championship on Saturday at Pinnacle Country Club. Eun-Hee Ji was also at 12 under with two holes left to play.

Ji was one of 70 golfers who had holes remaining when darkness fell after early-morning rain caused a 1-hour, 38-minute delay in play.

Among golfers who had completed two rounds, Lee led Angela Park and Kristy McPhersonby one stroke. Park set a course record with a 10-under 62, while first-round co-leader McPherson followed her 8 under with a 69.

First-round co-leader Seon Hwa Lee was at 11 under withtwo holes left.

Former Arkansas Lady Razorback Stacy Lewis, who was 3 under after the first round, was still on the course when play was suspended. Lewis was at 4 under with five holes left.

Little Rock's Audra Burks started the second round 3 over and got down to 1 under with six holes left when play was suspended.

Lady Razorbacks senior Lucy Nunn, who Monday-qualified as an amateur, struggled to a 12-over finish after rounds of 82 and 74. Nunn's personal highlight was an eagle on the 13th hole Saturday. The second round will be completed this morning beginning at 6:30, followed by a re-pairing after the field is cut to the top 70 and ties. The final round is expected to start at approximately 9 a.m.

Lee, 26, turned professional in 2005 and has two LPGA victories, the last coming in 2006 in the Fields Open in Hawaii. Lee took up golf at 14 and quickly blossomed, winning the Korean Amateur in 2000 and making the national team in 2001.

"I started playing piano when I was 5, somewhat forced by my mother," Lee said through translator Sean Pyun. "But I really started to play golf just because I didn't want to play the piano, and I think that just kind of worked out for me."

When Lee got out on the course, it didn't take long for her to take advantage of the wet conditions. Golfers were allowed to "lift, clean and place" balls in the fairway because of the wet conditions, and the soft greens allowed the pros to attack pin placements with gusto.

Lee played eight holes in the morning to finish her first round with a 67 and then had a nearimmediate turnaround for her second round.

"Because of the rain, the course overall was a lot softer [Saturday], especially the greens [were] very soft, so it was easier to hit the iron shots," Lee said.

Lee's putting was also strong after she switched putters before the tournament. Lee's coach suggested - and Lee readily agreed to - the change since Lee was ranked 93rd in putts per round this year.

"He made the suggestion to change the putter just to give me a new feel, and it [has worked] out so far," Lee said.

The round of the day belonged to Park, who played in the same threesome as McPherson. Park and McPherson had to play five holes Saturday morning before returning to play their second rounds.

Park began the day 1 under but made the turn at 5 under after four birdies.

Then she turned into a birdie machine, making seven on the back nine, including the last fourholes. Her only blemish was a two-putt bogey on the par-4 12th, although she recovered with five birdies on the last six holes.

"Everything just went the way I wanted, and I had nothing on my mind," said Park, who was born in Brazil but became a U.S. citizen in June. "I was just one shot at a time like every golf mentor will tell you, and I was able to do that."

Park, 19, said the key to her round was her putting, where she ranks 101st on tour. Park said she made three birdie putts of about 20 feet, another from 15 and a couple from 10 feet.

She also had one as short as 2 inches and three from about 3 feet.

"She's unbelievable," McPherson said. "Angela has got, by far, in my opinion, the best golf swing out there. It's just fun to watch. You don't realize how low she is going, then all of a sudden it's like, 'Whoa, when am I going to get the tee box back?' "

"I didn't play bad golf this afternoon. I just got lapped. I just told [Park], I said, 'Girl, you are something special.' "

Park said the nine-stroke difference between her first and second rounds was because she was able to hit her approach shots a little closer. That, and she made just about every putt she looked at.

"I was putting really well," Park said. "All the birdie opportunities I had, I made. So it was just a matter of getting the ball closer [Saturday]."

McPherson had a solid round that paled in comparison to her playing partner's. McPherson's round could have been much better without bogeys on the second and 13th holes.

The 13th hole is the easiest one on the course, but McPherson hit a chip from the fringe badly and then two-putted for bogey. McPherson had a threeputt bogey on the second hole, the fifth-easiest hole.

"I've got a few too many sixes on the scorecards the last two days," McPherson said. "Those add up pretty quickly."

The leaders in the clubhouse have the advantage of a full night's rest without worrying about finishing up this morning before the final round. Park said she felt really tired late in her second round, although the fatigue certainly didn't prevent her from running off an impressive string of birdies.

"My caddie tells me that every time I say, 'God, I'm tired,' I play well," said Park, referring to Mike Hobbs. "I don't think that's true. I don't know, I guess everything seems to be more calm, and I'm not so rushed, which I tend to get when I start not performing as well as I expect myself to."

Lee will be trying for her third tour victory, while Park and McPherson will try to win their first. Park, while winless on tour, finished eighth on the money list as a rookie last year.