Wie takes control at U.S. Women's Open

Golf • The 24-year-old holds three-shot lead after two rounds.

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Pinehurst, N.C. • For all the interest in the men and women playing Pinehurst No. 2 in consecutive weeks, Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson made the U.S. Women's Open more closely resemble the first LPGA Tour major of the year.

Wie held it together with two key par putts and finished with back-to-back birdies for a 2-under 68. Thompson powered her way out of the sand and weeds and ran off three straight birdies to match Wie for the lowest score Friday.

They were the only players still under par going into the weekend, perhaps setting up a rematch from the first major of the year. Thompson soundly beat Wie in the final round at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

"Definitely too early," Thompson said with a laugh. "Thirty-six holes in a major, that's a lot of golf to be played, especially at a U.S. Women's Open."

For now, Wie has control.

The 24-year-old from Hawaii twice thought her shots were going off the turtleback greens, and twice she relied on her table-top putting stance to make long par saves. She finished with a 6-iron that set up a 12-foot birdie putt, and a 15-foot birdie on the par-5 ninth to reach 4-under 136.

PGA Tour

Cromwell, Conn. • Scott Langley took the second-round lead in the Travelers Championship on Friday, following his opening 64 with a 65 to reach 11 under 129.

Winless in two seasons on the PGA Tour, the 25-year-old Langley had eight birdies, a double bogey and a bogey in the second round at TPC River Highlands.

Champions Tour

Glenview, Ill. • Tom Lehman birdied four straight holes and finished with a bogey-free 7 under to take the first-round lead in the Champions Tour's Encompass Championship. Friday's scores

U.S. Women's Open

At Pinehurst No. 2

Pinehurst, N.C.

Purse • $4 million

Yardage • 6,649; Par • 70

Second-round leaders

a-denotes amateur

Michelle Wie 68-68—136 -4

Lexi Thompson 71-68—139 -1

a-Minjee Lee 69-71—140 E

Amy Yang 71-69—140 E

Stacy Lewis 67-73—140 E

Na Yeon Choi 71-70—141 +1

Paula Creamer 70-72—142 +2

Mariajo Uribe 72-70—142 +2

Sakura Yokomine 74-68—142 +2

Angela Stanford 71-72—143 +3

Stephanie Meadow 71-72—143 +3

Karrie Webb 70-73—143 +3

So Yeon Ryu 69-74—143 +3

PGA-Travelers Championship

At TPC River Highlands

Cromwell, Conn.

Purse • $6.2 million

Yardage • 6,854; Par • 70

Second-round leaders

Scott Langley 64-65—129 -11

Michael Putnam 67-63—130 -10

K.J. Choi 65-65—130 -10

Harris English 66-64—130 -10

Ryan Moore 63-68—131 -9

Eric Axley 64-67—131 -9

Brendan Steele 62-69—131 -9

Jamie Lovemark 68-63—131 -9

Dustin Johnson 66-66—132 -8

Champions Tour-Encompass

At North Shore Country Club

Glenview, Ill.

Purse • $1.8 million

Yardage • 7,103; Par • 72

First-round leaders

Tom Lehman 32-33 — 65 -7

Roger Chapman 32-34 — 66 -6

Doug Garwood 33-33 — 66 -6

Michael Allen 32-35 — 67 -5

Bart Bryant 31-36 — 67 -5

Jeff Sluman 33-34 — 67 -5

Mark O'Meara 33-34 — 67 -5

Kirk Triplett 34-33 — 67 -5

Sandy Lyle 36-31 — 67 -5

John Inman 33-34 — 67 -5