PITTSFORD, N.Y. -- It had been so long that Brittany Lincicome didnt quite know what to think about her spot atop the LPGA Championship leaderboard. Lincicome opened a three-stroke lead Friday in the wind-swept tournament, the LPGA Tours fourth major championship of the season, as Americans moved into position for their fourth straight major victory of the year. "I feel like Ive been doing a lot of really good things," Lincicome said. "I feel like Ive been playing really well, driving it far, which is awesome. But its just not coming together." It has at Monroe Golf Club. The long-hitting Lincicome followed her opening 67 with a 68 to reach 9 under as she chases her first title since 2011. She won the 2009 Kraft Nabisco for her lone major title and has five LPGA Tour victories. Lexi Thompson, tied for the first-round lead with Meena Lee, dropped into a tie for second with defending champion Inbee Park of South Korea. Thompson had a 72, and Park shot 66. That gave the United States two players at the top with majors already on the trophy shelf. "Its a great leaderboard so far," said Thompson, who won the Kraft Nabisco to start the major run. "Today was a little more difficult than yesterday. Just didnt hit it as well, but I did make some good putts, so Im going to take a positive out of it." Its the first time Americans have won the first three majors since 1999, and they havent won four since 1992. Michelle Wie won the U.S. Womens Open, and Mo Martin surged to victory in the final round at the Womens British Open. A fifth major, the Evian Championship in France, was added last year. Seventeen-year-old Lydia Ko of New Zealand had a 69 to join Lee, from South Korea, and Jane Park at 5 under. Lee had a 73, and Park shot 69. Top-ranked Stacy Lewis sputtered again with a 1-over 73 to finish the two rounds at even par. Jennifer Kirby (79), from Paris, Ont., dropped from second in the first round to 54th on Friday at a 2-over par. Lincicome had an eagle and three birdies to go with one bogey for her second solid day. She averaged 277.5 yards off the tee on the two measured holes and needed only 26 putts for the second straight day. "Its been incredible," Lincicome said. "I havent been here in a while, especially in a major." Thompson reached 8 under after a birdie at the par-5 14th hole but followed with bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9 to drop into a tie with Lincicome at the turn. Lincicome, who started the day one shot off the lead, birdied the par-5 12th hole to gain a one-shot advantage while Inbee Park slowly clawed her way back into contention after shooting even par on the first day. Park had two birdies and chipped in from a greenside bunker for an eagle on her first five holes on the back side, and three birdies in the first three holes on the front put her at 6 under. "Quite different from yesterday," said Park, who won three majors last year. "I thought I need to change things a little bit and get a little more aggressive, and thats what I did." Thompsons birdie at No. 3 forged a tie with Lincicome and Meena Lee at 7 under, but it was short-lived. Moments later, Lincicome notched the sixth eagle of the day at the par-5 14th hole to put her two shots ahead and then parred out. Unable to string any sort of run together as she did on the first day, Thompson dropped into a tie for second after a bogey at the par-3 sixth hole, statistically the sixth-most difficult hole on the day. Locust Hill had been LPGAs host in the Rochester area for 37 straight years before the tour made the switch this year to nearby Monroe. The Donald Ross-designed course is about 300 yards longer at 6,717 yards, and the wider fairways favoured long hitters. "Right now, the fairways are generous. You can just bomb it off the tee," said Suzann Pettersen, tied for seventh at 4 under after a 69. "You can risk the extra few yards. Even if you miss it (the fairway), youll still be able to get to the greens somehow." A gusting wind strafed the course all day, sending leaves and bits of bark onto some greens and making each shot an adventure. Pettersen, who averaged over 276 yards off the tee, second-best over the first two rounds, was in the morning group and managed to stay out of trouble for the most part. It wasnt easy. "It is playable out there, but youve got to hit some great golf shots," Pettersen said. "The wind is a bit choppy. Its bounding up and down all the time. Youve got to try and find the pocket, try and hit the right shot that gives you the highest percentage." Ko, already a four-time winner on her LPGA Tour career, hit all 14 fairways and reached 15 greens in regulation in notching six birdies with three bogeys in an up-and-down day. Ko needed 31 putts to complete the round -- six more than the first day -- in part because of a three-putt bogey at No. 2 and then failing to get up-and-down at No. 4 in making another bogey. Both holes are par 4s. "I just give myself as many opportunities as I can," said the low-key Ko, who didnt touch a club during a recent five-day stretch because her swing was "on holiday." "I wish I was a long hitter," Ko said. "Im just trying to play to my strengths." Ko, a two-time winner this season, remained focused on the moment and just shrugged at the possibility of becoming the youngest winner of a major in LPGA Tour history. "I think about winning at the end of the week," Ko said. "Im going to go out there and just have some fun. Theres still two more days. Im pretty confident. Its good to be in this position." Brian Bowen Jersey . 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Venable and Jeremy Hermida drove in three runs apiece, and the Padres beat the Colorado Rockies 7-2 on Sunday to snap a nine-game losing streak.Portland, OR (SportsNetwork.com) - In a battle of two of the Western Conferences top teams, all-around efforts from Marc Gasol and Mike Conley helped the Memphis Grizzlies to a 112-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Gasol contributed a team-high 26 points to go along with nine assists and seven rebounds for the Grizzlies, who pushed their winning streak to four games and snapped Portlands nine-game winning streak in the process. Conley just missed a triple-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, while Zach Randolph deposited 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win. I think the biggest strength that we have is our mental toughness, said Conley. We have some ups and downs during games but we find a way to win. Portland, which last lost at the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 8, was led by Wesley Matthews 26 points. Damian Lillard had 20 points and nine assists and LaMarcus Aldridge registered a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double. The Blazers had also won seven straight at home. Its tough, especially when youre playing against a good defensive team, Lillard said of how to attack Memphis. You cant get in there and get the shots that were used to getting.dddddddddddd Portland led by three with under seven minutes to play in the second, then Memphis ended the half on a 20-8 run to take a 52-43 lead at the break. Aldridges dunk cut the deficit to 45-43, but Quincy Pondexter answered with a 3-pointer before Randolph and Conley each converted a basket over the final minute to give the Grizzlies their halftime cushion. Randolphs layup less than four minutes into the third staked the visitors to a 65-50 lead. Memphis brought an 83-70 lead into the fourth and it led by double digits for a majority of the final quarter. Earlier, the Blazers jumped out to an 18-6 lead just after the midway point of the first quarter, but Courtney Lee quelled the surge with a 3-pointer and Memphis scored the final seven points of the quarter, trimming the deficit to 25-23 after 12 minutes. Game Notes Memphis improved to 7-2 over its last nine against Portland ... Lee had 13 points and Tony Allen added 11 in the win ... The Grizzlies shot 53.6 percent from the floor and held the Blazers to 40.2 percent shooting ... Memphis had a 54-38 edge in the paint. ' ' '