PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Kenny Perry kept his wits and patience in 35-m.p.h. gusts of wind yesterday to finish the second round of the Players Championship with a solid 2-under-par 70, which gave him a 1-shot lead going into the weekend.

Perry, with a total of 138, 6 shots under par, made only one bogey on the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course.

He will be paired with Bernhard Langer and Paul Goydos, who each sit 1 stroke back.

Nerves were tough to control, however, in steady gusts that swirled through the pines and made every shot a challenge even on the few holes that have no water hazards.

"It was the kind of day where you could shoot a big number in a hurry," Perry said. "You're at the mercy of the wind. It was hard to ever feel comfortable on any tee shot."

Jeff Maggert withdrew, telling tournament officials that his older brother Barry died Thursday in a small-plane crash in Colorado en route to his son's college graduation.

LPGA Tour

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - Lorena Ochoa started with a birdie, which pulled her even at Kingsmill with Annika Sorenstam, the playing partner she replaced as the No. 1 female golfer in the world.

Two holes later, Sorenstam answered. She did so again at the par-4 16th hole, rolling in a birdie putt from about eight feet away after Ochoa briefly drew even with a tap-in from an inch.

So it went at the Michelob Ultra Open, where sometimes-driving rain and two rain delays did little to put a damper on a friendly duel between the game's leading players.

Sorenstam followed a 64 with a 66, leaving her at 12- under 130, 3 shots better than Ochoa and Jeong Jang.

European Tour

MILAN, Italy - Robert Karlsson of Sweden shot an 11-under 61, a course record, and had a 2-stroke lead at 15-under 129 after the second round of the Italian Open at Castello di Tolcinasco Golf and Country Club.