Notebook: Creamer deals with illness and mourns death of her grandmother

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- Fighting illness and mourning her grandmother's death, Paula Creamer played her way into contention in the second round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship. 

"I'm definitely sick," Creamer said. "My grandma passed away and I'm just not sleeping. My body kind of shut down. But last night was a rough night, but other than that, I'm feeling a little bit better." 

Creamer followed her opening 2-over 74 with a 68, playing the final 13 holes in 5 under. 

"I just made more putts," Creamer said. "I had a couple of bogeys early on, but fought back hard and played well on the back nine, which is the front nine." 

The 26-year-old American is winless since the 2010 U.S. Women's Open. The nine-time tour champion came close to ending the long drought last year at Kingsmill, but lost to Jiyai Shin on the ninth hole of a playoff. 

SLEEPING GIANT: Second-ranked Yani Tseng was 3 over after opening rounds of 72 and 75.

Winless in more than a year, the 24-year-old Taiwanese star had a triple-bogey 7 on No. 7 – her 15th hole of the day – after she pulled her 3-wood drive left and out of bounds. 

"One shot costs three more shots, but everything else is fine," Tseng said. "I was hitting driver, but today, because of the downwind, I chose the 3-wood, and I didn't pick the shot I wanted to hit. And I didn't like the target I picked and I just kind of pulled to the left." 

After a good start to the season in Australia and Asia, she lost the No. 1 spot in the world to Stacy Lewis three weeks ago in Phoenix, then was booted out of the Kia Classic a few days later when she overslept and missed her pro-am tee time. 

She has played well at Mission Hills, winning in 2010 and finishing second in 2011 and third last year. 

"I know I can make a bunch of birdies out there," Tseng said. "Today is the past, and I'll learn from today, and I won't make the same mistakes tomorrow." 

DIVOTS: Travis Wilson was back at work Friday as Stacy Lewis' caddie, a day after he was taken to an urgent care center because of flu-like symptoms. ... Hall of Famer Amy Alcott, making a rare tour start at age 57, shot 81-80. She won the tournament in 1983, 1988 and 1991.