Tracy Hanson, runner-up for the LPGA's rookie of the year award in 1995, fired her second consecutive 3-under-par 69 Friday to edge in front midway through the Nabisco Dinah Shore.
Hanson went to 6-under and held a one-shot lead on Annika Sorenstam, last season's player of the year, Tracy Kerdyk and Rosie Jones midway through the tournament, annually the first of the women's four majors.Sorenstam and Kerdyk, co-leaders after the first day, each shot par 72 in the second round at Mission Hills Country Club.
Jones, whose six tour victories include the Pinewild Women's Championship last year, shot a 67 to move into contention.
The 24-year-old Hanson, a member of the NCAA championship women's team at San Jose State four years ago, took the Dinah Shore lead by rolling in three birdie putts from around 30 feet.
Hanson, second to Pat Hurst for the tour's rookie honor last year, started on the back nine Friday and overcame a double bogey on No. 14, where she hit her tee shot on the par-3 into the water to drop back to 2-under.
Juli Inkster, the Dinah Shore champion in 1984 and again in 1989 but without a tour victory since 1992, went to 4-under for the tournament with her second 70.
She was tied with Hollis Stacy, a two-time U.S. Open winner who hasn't won an event in five years. Stacy shot 71.
Also close to the lead at 3-under were Meg Mallon, with a 70, and Martha Nause, with a 73.
Liselotte Neumann, winner of two of the five events played this year, had a second-round 73 and was in a group at 2-under with last weekend's winner at Phoenix, Laurie Davies. Also in that group of seven players were Karrie Webb, the rookie from Australia who has won once and finished second twice and leads the tour in earnings; and 1982 Dinah Shore champion Sally Little, looking for her first win in eight years.
Defending champion Nanci Bowen, whose only tour win was at Mission Hills a year ago, had a 70 Friday after struggling to a 76 the first day.
At San Antonio, Raymond Floyd and teaching pro Charlie Epps shot 66s Friday to share the first-round lead in the $650,000 SBC Dominion Seniors golf tournament.
Floyd, runner-up in this event last year, ranks fifth on the Senior PGA Tour in earnings this season even though his two victories came in unofficial events - the Seniors Skins in Hawaii and the Senior Slam in Mexico.
Epps, on the other hand, had to hustle just to make the field. He shot a 73 in a qualifying round on Monday to earn a spot in the field.
This is Epps' second event. He was 40th at Atlanta last June.
Gary Player was alone at 67, while the group at 68 included Bruce Summerhays, Bob Eastwood and Chi Chi Rodriguez, the 1987 Dominion winner.