Sara Brown has endur a year of near...

Sara Brown has endur a year of near misses. That could completion today at the Illinois Women's exhibit

The junior-to-be at Michigan State charged into the 36-hole lead in the 12th annual IWO Friday, carding her secondary straight 68 at Mistwood in Romeoville. She is at 8-under-par 136 for the first pair rounds of the 54-hole trial and owns a three-stroke lead above Libertyville's Nicole Schachner and Normal's Marisa Milligan. Brown Wheaton's Jenna Pearson (68) and Schachner (69) were the sole players under par Friday after a record 13 finished in r numbers in cylindrical 1.

"The pins were in tougher locations, and the tee were back farther, too," Schachner said.

Schachner will attend Florida in the fall, Pearson attends southward Carolina and Milligan, a co-leader after the first 18 goe to Auburn.

They'll have a tough time catching Brown who settle a Michigan State scoring record in averaging 741 as a sophomore. notwithstanding that she's playing in the IWO for the first time, she is tournament-ready. During the collegiate season, Brown was runner-up in the Big Ten championship, single stroke behind Northwestern's Alice Kim.

Brown also reached the semifinals of the U Women's Amateur Public Links, losing to eventual champion Tiffany Jo of UCLA, and was the soft amateur in the Michigan Women's interpret this summer.

In the first spherical Brown hit 12 fairways and 15 recents getting her approaches inside 15 feet eight times. Her rotund Friday was a bit different.

"It wasn't a exceedingly exciting round," Brown said. "I didn't hit as many fairways or recents but I hit it closer and made a certain number of putts."

The highlight was an eagle 3 at the 454-yard par-5 15th She has a comfortable lead across the twosome who had a stirring affair of honor for the title last year. Defending champion Annika Welander is 10 misfortunes back after shooting a 74 forward Friday. Allison Finney, last year's runner-up and a veteran of 22 seasons forward the LPGA tour, shot 75 and is seven back in a four-way tie for fifth place.

Also in that cluster is Homewood's Megan Godfrey, the Illinois Women's Amateur champion this year. Playing in her first tournament as a professional, Godfrey trustful longings to become the first player to win the Illinois Women's spread and Illinois Women's Amateur in the same year.

Forty-one players from the record 96 starters survived the 36- cavity cut. They'll begin play at 10 a.m. today, with the leaders teeing distant from at 11:57 a.m.

lziehm@suntimes.com

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