Sweden's Sorenstam, already a two-time winner this year, had a joint best 66 for 12-under-par 130, while Ochoa, who has extended her lead at the head of the world rankings with five victories from seven starts this year, had a 68 and shared second spot with South Korea's Jeong Jang on nine-under.

Jang, the 2005 Women's British Open Champion, matched Sorenstam's five-under round while her compatriot Meena Lee was alone in fourth place on seven under after a 68.

Scotland's Mhairi McKay, who had led by one after a first round 63, was unlucky to be in the last group out on a day when there were two weather delays. She slumped to a 77 and dropped to two under par and into a share of 33rd place.

With darkness beckoning, the Turnberry 33-year-old dropped four shots in the last six holes.

England's Karen Stupples and Becky Morgan, the only Welsh player on the LPGA Tour, took over as the leading British players in joint fifth place. They both shot 69 to stand on six under par and six shots behind Sorenstam.

Plagued by injury last season, Sorenstam, who had opened with a 64, showed her determination to claim the number one spot back from Ochoa with a handful of birdies.

Starting from the tenth, she picked up shots at the 12th, 16th and 18th in an outward 32 and made more gains at the third and seventh. She has reached halfway without dropping a shot.

"I played really well and like my position going into the weekend," said the 37-year-old, who won in Hawaii at the start of the year and again in Miami two weeks ago.

Ochoa also started on the back nine and matched Sorenstam's tally of five birdies. But she dropped a shot at the fourth (her 13th) and let another one slip away at her final hole.Kingsmill, Kingsmill Resort & Spa, River Course

(All the second round scores

USA unless stated, par 71):

130 Annika Sorenstam (Swe) 64 66

133 Lorena Ochoa (Mex) 65 68, Jeong Jang (Kor) 67 66

135 Meena Lee (Kor) 67 68

136 Karen Stupples (Eng) 67 69, Jimin Kang (Kor) 67 69, Becky Morgan (Wal) 67 69, Kristy McPherson 68 68, Meredith Duncan 68 68

137 Diana D'Alessio 65 72, Song-Hee Kim (Kor) 66 71, Christina Kim 70 67

138 Stacy Prammanasudh 66 72, Ji-Young Oh (Kor) 69 69, Louise Friberg (Swe) 69 69, Beth Bader 68 70, Juli Inkster 68 70, Sandra Gal (Ger) 68 70, Hee Young Park (Kor) 66 72

139 Sun Young Yoo (Kor) 64 75, Catriona Matthew (Sco) 69 70, Cristie Kerr 68 71, Maria Hjorth (Swe) 68 71, In-Bee Park (Kor) 67 72, Kris Tamulis 68 71, Jee Young Lee (Kor) 68 71, Ya-Ni Tseng (Kor) 70 69, Soo-Yun Kang (Kor) 68 71, Laura Diaz 70 69, Angela Stanford 69 70, Janice Moodie (Sco) 66 73, Katherine Hull (Aus) 70 69

140 Na On Min (Jpn) 72 68, Jamie Hullett 69 71, Pat Hurst 69 71, Candie Kung (Tai) 66 74, Dina Ammaccapane 68 72, Paula Creamer 71 69, Sung Ah Yim (Kor) 69 71, Teresa Lu (Tai) 70 70, Mhairi McKay (Sco) 63 77, Allison Fouch 69 71, Nicole Castrale 72 68, Marcy Hart 69 71, Helen Alfredsson (Swe) 67 73

141 Heather Young 70 71, Johanna Head (Eng) 74 67, Karrie Webb (Aus) 70 71, Eun Hee Ji (Kor) 66 75, Russamee Gulyanamitta (Tha) 68 73, Katie Futcher 69 72, Sarah Kemp (Aus) 70 71, Danielle Downey 70 71

142 Laura Davies (Eng) 71 71, In Kyung Kim (Kor) 72 70, Lindsey Wright (Aus) 71 71, Brittany Lang 71 71, Leta Lindley 69 73, Marisa Baena 69 73, Kyeong Eun Bae (Kor) 69 73, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 69 73, Emily Bastel 69 73, Carolina Llano (Col) 68 74, Shi Hyun Ahn (Kor) 71 71, Hee-Won Han (Kor) 74 68, Michele Redman 72 70, Nancy Scranton 72 70, Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 71 71, Natalie Gulbis 69 73, Na Yeon Choi (Kor) 69 73, Alena Sharp 70 72, Sophie Gustafson (Swe) 71 71

--------------------Following players missed the cut----------------------------

143 Young-A Yang (Kor) 72 71, Kelli Kuehne 68 75, Reilley Rankin 71 72, Seo-Jae Lee 71 72, Julieta Granada (Par) 72 71, Lorie Kane (Kor) 71 72, Nicole Perrot (Chi) 69 74, Mollie Fankhauser 72 71, Erica Blasberg 69 74, Hwa seon Lee (Kor) 69 74

144 Jennifer Rosales (Phi) 71 73, Jill McGill 69 75, Young Kim (Kor) 74 70, Morgan Pressel 72 72, Liz Janangelo 72 72, Su A Kim 68 76, Sherri Turner 70 74, Carin Koch (Swe) 71 73, Mikaela Parmlid (Swe) 67 77, Meg Mallon 73 71, Amy Hung (Tha) 73 71

145 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 70 75, Becky Lucidi 73 72, Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (Fra) 73 72, Wendy Ward 73 72, Liselotte Neumann (Swe) 75 70, Miriam Nagl (Ger) 69 76, Jackie Gallagher-Smith 71 74, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 71 74, Yu Ping Lin (Tai) 69 76, Moira Dunn 74 71, Heather Daly-Donofrio 75 70, Shanshan Feng (Chn) 74 71

146 Michelle Ellis 72 74, Michelle null Wie 75 71, Candy Hannemann 75 71, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 71 75, Il Mi Chung (Kor) 74 72, Jane Park 72 74, Hye Jung Choi (Kor) 70 76

147 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 72 75, Gloria Park (Kor) 74 73, Brandie Burton 75 72, Jin Joo Hong (Kor) 72 75, Courtney Ellenbogen 70 77, Meaghan Francella 73 74, Karin Sjodin (Swe) 75 72

148 Giulia Sergas (Ita) 73 75, Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 70 78, Kate Golden 71 77, Eva Dahllof (Swe) 76 72, Kim Hall 75 73, Karine Icher (Fra) 71 77

149 Carri Wood 74 75, Angela Park 76 73

150 Cindy Rarick 73 77, Vicki Goetze-Ackerman 74 76, Silvia Cavalleri (Ita) 74 76, Sherri Steinhauer 75 75

151 Tracy Hanson 79 72, Seol-An Jeon (Kor) 76 75, Becky Iverson 74 77

152 Wendy Doolan (Aus) 74 78

153 Brittany Lincicome 74 79

154 Grace Park (Kor) 80 74, Kris Tschetter 78 76

155 Charlotte Mayorkas 76 79

156 Dorothy Delasin 75 81

160 Michelle McGann 76 84

169 Danielle Ammaccapane 86 83

173 Sarah Turcotte 84 89