Angela StanfordBernard Brault
http://local.globe.com/golfcan/2011/08/stanford.flv
MIRABEL, Quebec - If American Angela Stanford can continue to squeeze all the goodness she can from her putter over the weekend, she just might win on the LPGA Tour for the first time in more than two years.
The 33-year-old native of Fort Worth, Texas, is tied for the lead with Japan's Ai Miyazato heading into Saturday's third round of the CN Canadian Women's Open at the Hillsdale Golf & Country Club just north of Montreal.
Stanford rode seven birdies and a bogey to a 6-under-par 66 in the second round Friday to join Miyazato at the top of the leaderboard at 11-under par through 36 holes.
The pair has a one-shot lead over South Korea's Song-Hee Kim.
Defending champion Michelle Wie of the United States is tied for fourth with seven others at 8-under, including Brittany Lincicome, Paula Creamer, and first round co-leader Pernilla Lindberg of Sweden.
Stanford, who won the season-opening SBS Open back in February 2009, joked after carding a 65 in the first round Thursday about her putter finally having shown up at a tournament.
But even though she and the club she simply refers to as "him" continued to play superb golf, she's not totally convinced "he" is back for good.
"It's still yet to be determined because I have two more days. So I can't fall in love with him just yet," said Stanford. "We're on speaking terms, though, so it's good.
"My putter finally showed up Thursday and it was there again today."
Stanford birdied five of her last nine holes for a 31 that helped produce the second-best round of the day, one shot more than South Korean Seon Hwa Lee, who is three shots off the lead.
"I really don't know what the difference was between the two nines today, I guess I just had some better chances on the back," said Stanford. "There are a couple of par-5s where you have good chances, but I was just trying to hit good shots and give myself opportunities. And the putter's been rolling so good.
"I feel good about my putter. I think any time you feel good about your putter, it's probably better than feeling good about anything else. I haven't had this feeling in awhile, so it's a lot of fun."
Seventy-eight players made the cut at 1-under 143, which tied the tournament record for the lowest 36-hole cut.
Two former champions were among the notables who won't be around this weekend. The 2009 champion, Suzann Pettersen - who was shooting for her third consecutive victory - went 73-73 and missed her first cut since 2009, while 2008 champ Katherine Hull went 78-73.
Sherri Steinhauer, a 26-year veteran of the LPGA Tour and an eight-time winner on Tour, played her final round of an LPGA tournament on Friday, having announced prior to the start of the Canadian Open that it would be the final event of her career.
The 48-year-old from Madison, Wis., ended her competitive career with a 71 but missed the cut, finishing at 6-over par.
"It's been a great run," she said. "Golf has been so good to me, the LPGA has been great to me, and to finish on the last hole and have a lot of players and caddies back there was really special."
Steinhauer joined the Tour in 1986 and captured her first victory, a major, at the 1992 du Maurier Classic-Canadian Women's Open at the St. Charles Country Club in Winnipeg, where she won by three shots over Judy Dickinson.