The Associated Press

TOLEDO - Vicente Fernandez believes he's owed a major championship. On Friday, at the U.S. Senior Open, he took a step toward claiming it.

Fernandez went birdie-birdie-eagle early in his round, then closed it with three birdies in a glittering 7-under 64 that gave him a one-shot lead over Tom Watson after two rounds of the U.S. Senior Open.

"I would like to win one because I think the majors owe me at least one on the senior tour," Fernandez said.

The 57-year-old Argentine has finished second twice and third three times in senior major championships, including being runner-up by one shot to Hale Irwin at the 1998 Senior Open at Riviera.

Fernandez's round left him at 5-under 137. It was the lowest round of the day by five shots and was 13 strokes under the average score of the 156-player field.

The 64 was the lowest second-round score in 24 Senior Opens and was one shot off Vijay Singh's competitive course record at Inverness Club, set during the second round of the 1993 PGA Championship.

"It happened that it was my day and I was lucky," Fernandez said. "I played well and I took advantage of it. That's the big difference."

Watson started and ended his round of 72 with bogeys and finished at 138.

"There wasn't much excitement out there for me today," Watson said. "So let's talk about the (minor-league Toledo) Mud Hens."

Bruce Lietzke was at 140 after a 71, with Allen Doyle (69) at 141.

PGA TOUR: John Huston made a 6-foot birdie putt on his final hole Friday and joined rookie Richard S. Johnson as a co-leader after the second round of the St. Jude Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Huston turned in his best round of the year as he had an eagle and six birdies in a bogey-free round for an 8-under 63 and 130 total.

"I played extremely well today," Huston said. "Drove the ball well, so I gave myself a lot of good chances and chipped in one time, made one from the bunker. Everything went pretty much pretty well."

Johnson, who had a 66 Friday, shared a one-stroke lead after the first round with Jay Haas and Darron Stiles. Johnson had a longer day, having to play 25 holes to wrap up the first round, which had been suspended by rain Thursday night.

David Peoples (66) was at 131 with Fredrik Jacobson (67) and David Gossett (67) at 133.

Haas shot a 70 and was tied with Lee Janzen (66) and Kirk Triplett (67) at 134. Stiles shot a 74 and was eight strokes off the lead.

LPGA: With Annika Sorenstam having mixed success using a new ball and phenom Michelle Wie struggling with her putter, three less-publicized players shared the first-round lead in the ShopRite Classic at Galloway, N.J.

Laura Diaz, Kris Lindstrom and Angela Stanford shot 6-under 65s and held a one-shot lead over Hall of Famer Juli Inskter, who once again seems to be peaking with a defense of the U.S. Women's Open on tap next week.

The much anticipated battle between Sorenstam and Wie - the two biggest current names in women's golf - never materialized on a hot, humid day on the Bay Course of the Seaview Marriott Resort and Spa.

The No. 1 player in women's golf, Sorenstam shot a scrambling 1-under 70 in a round where she had trouble controlling her distance playing the new Calloway Hex-Tour ball. Wie, a 13-year-old prodigy, settled for a par round, missing six makeable birdie putts.

"Some days you are lucky and some days you are not," said Wie, who last weekend became the youngest winner of a USGA event for adults when she won the U.S. Amateur Women's Public Links Championship. "Today was one of the days I was playing good and then I had bad breaks."

Sorenstam's problem was controlling a new ball.

"It's just a hotter ball," said Sorenstam, who had five birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey. "I hit it farther. The sand wedge is normally my strength and today I was missing the greens with my sand wedge, it was flying so far."