NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. — Cindy Figg-Currier took last year off from the LPGA Tour to give birth to her second child.
Now she's back, and in her first week away from the kids this year she was tied for the lead halfway through the Big Apple Classic.
"Maybe that's it. There's no cooking, no laundry, no getting up in the middle of the night to give a bottle," she said Friday after a 65 left her tied with Hee-Won Han at 8-under 134. "I wish they were here, though."
If 8-year-old Kaitland and 1-year-old Mary had made the trip from Texas, they would have seen their mother come up with a bogey-free round that featured four birdies on her front nine, including a tap-in on the par-5 18th after a 35-foot putt for eagle hung on the lip.
"That was really nice," Figg-Currier said of the round. "But I feel like I left some out there."
Han also didn't have a bogey as she matched the best round of her career to share the lead in the tournament she lost last year in a one-hole playoff.
Beth Daniel, who won last week's Canadian Women's Open, had a second 68 at Wykagyl Country Club and was at 6 under. That left her one shot in front of Meg Mallon (67), first-round leader Mi-Hyun Kim (71), Joanne Mills (67) and Vicki Goetze-Ackerman (69).
Suzy Whaley, the teaching pro from Avon, Conn., who will play in the PGA Tour's Greater Hartford Open next week, had a 75 and was at 2 over at 144, two shots better than the cut.
BC OPEN: In Endicott, N.Y., Pat Bates shot a 9-under 63 Friday to tie Alex Cejka and Brett Quigley for the early second-round lead at the B.C. Open.
Cejka had his second straight 66 despite a bogey at 18 and Quigley shot 65 as the leaders went to 12-under-par 132.
Steve Allan and John E. Morgan each shot 65 and were one shot behind. Michael Bradley, playing in only his second tournament of the year, was alone at 10-under 134 after his second straight 67.
Lightning and heavy rain forced a three-hour delay at the start. First-round leader Steve Lowery, who opened with an 8-under 64, didn't start until just after 5:30 p.m. and was 1 under on the round through three holes. Harrison Frazar, who was in a four-way tie for second after a first-round 66, was 1 under after three holes.
Ty Tryon, who was among 15 players at 5 under entering the day, teed off in the last group just after 7 p.m.
CELEBRITY GOLF: Former NFL quarterback Steve Bartkowski shot a 4-under 68 Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the 14th annual celebrity golf tournament at Lake Tahoe.
The 68 at the Edgewood-Tahoe Golf Course translated into 27 points under the modified Stableford scoring system, which is being used for the first time at the 54-hole event. Two-time defending champion Dan Quinn and former NFL kicker Al Del Greco were second after shooting a 69 for 26 points. Brett Hull was next with 25 points, thanks to an eagle on the par-5 18th hole.
Dick Anderson, John Elway, Jack Wagner, Mark Rypien and Maury Povich were next with 21 points. Elway holed out from 123 yards with a pitching wedge for an eagle on the par-4, 393-yard second hole.