Thorpe's 60 ties Champions mark

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. -- Jim Thorpe tied a PGA Champions Tour record with a 10-under-par 60 to take the lead after the second round of the Long Island Classic on Saturday.

With 10 birdies, Thorpe matched the record held by Bruce Fleisher, Walter Morgan and Isao Aoki.

Thorpe also broke his personal best of 62, shot on the PGA Tour in the 1985 Greater Milwaukee Open and on the senior tour in the Gold Rush Classic in 2000.

"My caddy told me he didn't think this course would give up many birdies and that 5- or 6-under par would win," Thorpe said. "It's going to take more than that."

Thorpe's two-round total of 12-under 128 at the 6,797-yard Eisenhower Park Red Course left him two shots ahead of Bob Gilder, who shot a 66 to move to 10 under par.

Des Smyth posted a second straight 66 to get to 8 under, and Mike McCullough was another stroke back after shooting a 65. Fleisher, the first-round leader, followed up an opening-round 62 with a 72 and dropped six shots back.

Thorpe switched putters after tying for 60th at the Senior PGA Championship and for 47th in the Farmers Charity Classic.

He's now playing his fourth tournament with a shorter putter.

"My putter was beating me up about six weeks ago," Thorpe said. "When we reached the Ford Seniors Players three weeks ago, I pulled a brand new putter out of my bag. It was 36 inches long and I like to go with one that is 34. I went into the pro shop and had it cut down and wound up tied for second. That putter is definitely in my bag for good."

After shooting an opening 68, Thorpe still was not satisfied with his putting.

"I went to the greens and practiced for 50 minutes," he said. "It certainly paid off."

LPGA

Se Ri Pak played 13 holes in 8 under to take a two-stroke lead at the Jamie Farr Kroger Classic in Sylvania, Ohio, before play was suspended because of rain and lightning.

Pak, the South Korean star seeking her fourth victory at Highland Meadows, was 14 under overall. Diaz was 2 under for the day through 13 holes.

Nationwide Tour

A dozen golfers are within three shots of the lead going into today's final round of the Nationwide Tour Price Cutter Charity Championship at Highland Springs Country Club.

Doug LaBelle II and Steve Gangluff, playing in the same group, each shot a 4-under-par 68 Saturday for three-round totals of 199 and a one-shot lead over Scott Gump, who carded a 66. Zach Johnson had the round of the day with an 8-under 64, putting him in a four-way tie for third at 201.

Russian Open

Austria's Martin Wiegele shot a 5-under 67 for a share of the third-round lead with Australia's Marcus Fraser in the Russian Open.

Fraser shot a 68 to match Wiegele at 15 under.

-- From wire reports