Warren, a 22-year-old Billings golfer, shot a 5-over-par 77 on Wednesday to build a one-stroke advantage heading into today's closing round at Laurel Golf Club.
Another Billings golfer, Lisa Forney, fashioned the best score of the second round - a 1-under 71 - to also waltz up the leaderboard. Forney, who placed second when the State Am was last held at Laurel in 1998, is tied for second with Tess Stevenson of Whitefish.
“I'm turning back the clock,” she said with a smile. “It seems like it has been 10 years since I've played this well.”
A true shootout is in the works for Friday, with seven golfers within five strokes of Warren, a three-time All-America golfer at Rocky Mountain College. She won last year's State Am at Riverside Country Club in Bozeman.
“It's nice,” Warren said of being out in front. “Sometimes, though, I like to come from behind on the last day, but I'll take it.”
Warren, who is at 9-over 153 after 36 holes, started the day two shots behind the leaders. She used a birdie on No. 13, followed by five straight pars, in shooting her way to the top.
“I really needed that shot on the (147-yard) par-3, and I needed to make that (two foot) putt for a birdie,” said Warren. “That helped me get it together. I got my confidence back.”
Warren and Forney played together in the second round as part of the final foursome in the amateur division.
Forney, who works in the pro shop at The Briarwood, was a model of consistency on a day when golfers had to contend with windy conditions in the morning and 90-degree heat in the afternoon.
She encountered little resistance on Laurel's challenging greens in shooting a 1-under 35 on the front and closing with an even-par 36 on the back. She notched birdies on holes 7, 9, 14 and 18.
“She played so good,” Warren said. “It was fun playing with her. She had a really good round. She made some long putts.”
Stevenson, Bozeman's Kelly Gillum and Rose Stepanek of Billings held the first-round lead with their 74s. But Stevenson shot an 80 in the second round, Gillum 83 and Stepanek 84.
Stevenson and Forney are tied at 154, followed by Erin King, a 17-year-old Billings golfer, at 155 and Kathie Dugger, also of Billings, at 156.
Gillum is sitting at 157, while LaRae Smith of Bozeman and Stepanek are at 158.
After notching a 3-over 39 on the front nine, Warren looked doomed after getting a double bogey on No. 11 and a bogey on No. 12. She found the trees on both of her tee shots and her putting stroke momentarily abandoned her.
Forney was second to Jennifer McGregor of Billings during the 1998 State Am.
“I'm not really going to think about it,” she said of her chances of winning this time around. “I'm just going to go out there and play and see what happens. If I play well, things will fall into place.”
In the senior division for golfers age 50 and above, 2003 champion Vicki Hicks of Billings shot an 81 Wednesday and leads with a two-day total of 164. Defending champion Sue Matson of Laurel and last year's runner-up Fay Ferraro of Bozeman are second at 166. Matson shot a 78 on Wednesday.
Darlene Vanderloos of Billings is fourth at 168.
Montana State Women's Amateur
At Laurel Golf Club
Par 72, 5,509 yards
Second-round scores
Top 10
Rachel Warren, Billings 76-77-153
Lisa Forney, Billings 83-71-154
Tess Stevenson, Whitefish 74-80-154
Erin King, Billings 78-77-155
Kathie Dugger, Billings 78-78-156
Kelly Gillum, Bozeman 74-83-157
Rose Stepanek, Billings 74-84-158
LaRae Smith, Bozeman 77-81-158
Julie Campbell, Bozeman 82-80-162
Lindsey Holzwarth, Laurel 78-85-163
Amateurs
Championship flight
Rachel Warren, Billings 76-77-153
Lisa Forney, Billings 83-71-154
Tess Stevenson, Whitefish 74-80-154
Erin King, Billings 78-77-155
Kathie Dugger, Billings 78-78-156
Kelly Gillum, Bozeman 74-83-157
Rose Stepanek, Billings 74-84-158
LaRae Smith, Bozeman 77-81-158
Presidents flight
Julie Campbell, Bozeman 82-80-162
Johanna Barney, Livingston 84-81-165
Jennifer Orchard, Polson 82-84-166
Hillary Folkvord, Bozeman 83-84- 167
Kate Steffanich, Bozeman 86-82-168
Elise Nelsen, Bozeman 89-82-171
Kalli Stanhope, Glendive 91-80-171
Brittani Jones, Billings 87-95-182
First flight
Lindsey Holzwarth, Laurel 78-85-163
Lisa Forsberg, Billings 83-81-164
Lindsay Erickson, Helena 86-81-167
Sue Peterson, Glendive 85-84-169
Marianne Crippen, Missoula 87-84-171
Sable Hamilton, Colstrip 84-87-171
Katie Michunovich, Laurel 89-83-172
Second flight
Morgan Lee, Great Falls 89-84-173
Toni Bickford, Billings 87-87-174
Katelyn Frank, Sidney 89-86-175
Natalie Beard, Great Falls 88-91-179
Andrea Rath, Billings 90-92-182
Janine Gotschall, Columbus 91-93-184
Jill Lowell, Columbus 94-97-191
Debbie Erwin, Great Falls 99-94-193
Third flight
Sydnee Crosser, Dillon 84-86-170
Shannon Drew, Laurel 82-90-172
Katy Peterson, Glendive 83-89-172
Kyla Clancy, Park City 87-85-172
Missy Jones, Billings 87-88-175
Carol Skarda, Billings 87-90-177
Emily Gates, Billings 94-86-180
Bobbie Lacklen, Libby 91-91-182
Fourth flight
Tiffany Young, Bozeman 92-91-183
Kelsie Crippen, Missoula 93-91-184
Jill Pike, Bozeman 94-92-186
Mary Spanbauer, Anaconda 92-94-186
Haylee Folkvord, Bozeman 92-95-187
Melanie Fee, Havre 98-93-191
Lana Scott, Columbus 102-90-192
Ellie Stanisich, Dillon 97-102-199
Fifth flight
Janet Reiter, Billings 83-90-173
Maggie Crippen, Missoula 86-90-176
Sarah LeVeaux, Laurel 89-88-177
Julie Houk, Missoula 90-89-179
Cheri Ellis, Red Lodge 92-88-180
Georgia Lukkes, Columbus 90-91-181
Haley Swain, Billings 90-92-182
Brianna DeWitt, Butte 90-94-184
Sixth flight
Erin Heaney, Anaconda 100-85-185
Jeri Heard, Laurel 88-98-186
Pat Jette, Great Falls 95-98-193
Sandy Sward, Bozeman 97-96-193
Shari Barney, Bozeman 93-105-198
Laurel Campbell, Bozeman 98-103-201
Tracy Harding, Great Falls 102-99-201
Julie Degner, Billings 109-99-208
Seventh flight
Sarah Mutch, Laurel 88-93-181
Loree Dark, Frenchtown 95-92-187
Marian Collar, Billings 94-94-188
Stephanie Campbell, Bozeman 99-97-196
Nancy Metzger, Laurel 100-101-201
Becky Pipal, Three Forks 103-98-201
Jenni Fangsfud, Ronan 102-101-203
Bobby Bear, Bozeman 102-104-206
Eighth flight
Lore Baker, Columbus 105-101-206
Ann Marie Moran, Bozeman 105-104-209
Laurie Michunovich, Laurel 104-106-210
Vicki Randall, Libby 108-102-210
Charlee Remitz, Bozeman 101-110-211
Paula Roos, Billings 113-99-212
Karen Rice, Ennis 113-100-213
Becky Wimmer, Havre 114-117-231
Ninth flight
Teresa Felzer Brown, Havre 93-101-194
Margo Salsbery, Forsyth 93-102-195
Haley Kramer, Laurel 100-103-203
Ruth Fenn, Libby 104-101-205
Lindsie May, Billings 103-103-206
Alane Harkin, Frenchtown 104-102-206
Kelly Miner, Red Lodge 106-100-206
Kimberly MacDonald, Billings 106-112-218
Julie Redfern, Billings 117-117-234
Seniors
(Age 50 and over)
Championship flight
Vicki Hicks, Billings 83-81-164
Sue Matson, Laurel 88-78-166
Fay Ferraro, Bozeman 82-84-166
Darlene Vanderloos, Billings 87-81-168
Rosalie Meltzer, Missoula 85-86-171
Susan Court, Helena 85-88-173
Carol Brosovich, Billings 89-85-174
Susan Toder, Missoula 86-88-174
Presidents flight
Mickey Moret, Bozeman 88-87-175
Gerry Jovanovich, Fort Benton 91-84-175
Michele Geer, Billings 92-87-179
Earlene Davis, Billings 94-95-189
Robin Koontz, Missoula 94-97-191
Mary Bryson, Helena 96-96-192
Lorri Denton, Billings 97-97-194
First flight
Laura Wilson, Billings 84-93-177
Sharon Russell, Laurel 88-93-181
Mikki Rydell, Great Falls 93-90-183
Carol Simmons, Laurel 96-88-184
Pat Pitt, Billings 93-92-185
Mary Bell Stultz, Laurel 95-91-186
Irene Kawane, Billings 94-94-188
Rashel Jeffrey, Missoula 93-96-189
Second flight
Mickey Campbell, Laurel 99-92-191
Joy Staker, Bozeman 97-95-192
Kandi Davis, Bozeman 96-97-193
Alde Feskanin, Ennis 100-94-194
Dee Baxter, Laurel 104-91-195
Linda Nemer, Billings 97-108-205
Rochelle Kriewald, Butte 108-104-212
Third flight
Joan Wilson, Billings 92-88-180
Karen Schaefer, Scobey 88-95-183
Sonja Bennett, Laurel 95-90-185
Jeanne Hutchinson, Billings 96-94-190
Sharon Allen, Laurel 103-87-190
Sue Kearns, Helena 96-95-191
Susan King, Billings 99-97-196
Nancy Schieno, Billings 100-97-197
Fourth flight
Jane Erickson, Billings 104-94-198
Shirley Shea, Butte 98-101-199
Susan Coakley, Red Lodge 104-98-202
Janet Dean, Missoula 106-99-205
Jami McNea, Billings 106-102-208
Linda Shaffer, Butte 116-109-225
Marlys Sell, Billings 101-WD
Fifth flight
Lorrie Rimpe, Laurel 96-90-186
Linda Weidler, Laurel 94-94-188
Helen Ryan, Laurel 92-98-190
Jean Mills, Billings 97-98-195
Punky Zastoupil, Forsyth 101-95-196
Mary Ann Bottman, Laurel 105-96-201
Wanda Jaeb, Helena 99-102-201
Linda Frickel, Laurel 100-103-203
Sixth flight
Nancy Di Meola, Ennis 103-103-206
Carla Berg, Sidney 109-97-206
Sandi Nave, Billings 107-101-208
Vanessa Tolson, Helena 105-105-210
Donna Fiveland, Laurel 111-101-212
Tamara Cain, Miles City 105-113-218
Linda Capser, Laurel 105-117-222
June Larson, Billings 117-118-235
Seventh flight
Carole Sisson, Bozeman 100-99-199
Cindy Garberg, Scobey 102-97-199
Karlene Lehfeldt, Billings 106-100-206
Lorraine Richardson, Missoula 105-106-211
Bonnie Jo Bouley, Missoula 107-107-214
Claudette Hughes, Ennis 107-110-217
Joyce Olson, Livingston 108-109-217
Linda Walsh, Great Falls 122-95-217
Eighth flight
Maureen Davey, Columbus 109-109-218
Verna Uffelman, Billings 108-114-222
Monty Whitmore, Billings 112-110-222
Valerie Wentz, Sidney 113-109-222
Lynda Solberg-Rodier, Sidney 120-104-224
Carole Herron, Helena 112-112-224
Mary West, Great Falls 109-119-228
Ninth flight
Pat Heard, Laurel 100-106-206
Linda Jacobson, Laurel 107-100-207
Elsie Sorenson, Forsyth 105-106-211
Fairlynn Ross, Ronan 102-112-214
Linda Mann, Missoula 107-108-215
Christa Reisinger, Libby 107-109-216
Dawn Stahl, Laurel 106-111-217
Elvira Wilcox, Billings 112-107-219
Tenth flight
Barb Zuldema, Great Falls 110-109-219
Judith Fladmo, Sidney 107-114-221
Lynn Snyder, Helena 113-109-222
Linda Lindsay, Helena 113-118-231
Willie Dowdle, Laurel 119-113-232
Mary Ann McLean, Havre 110-125-235
Sue Schelle, Billings 124-115-239
Mona Nutting, Laurel 105-WD
Eleventh flight
Deb LeVeaux, Laurel 106-110-216
Goldie Rae, Laurel 114-113-227
Patty Fleming, Billings 112-123-235
Laura Reinhardt, Ennis 122-113-235
Thelma Willems, Helena 122-115-237
Sylvia Tryan, Flaxville 115-129-244
Blanche Ward, Libby 131-121-252
Sharon Torske, Billings 151-134-285
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