The Carolina Panthers have come to terms with sixth-round draft pick Nick Hayden and seven-rounder Mackenzy Bernadeau.

Both players agreed to 4-year contracts for the league minimum salary with small signing bonuses.

The moves on Friday leave the Panthers with seven more picks to sign before players report to training camp July 25. General manager Marty Hurney said they expected to finalize a deal with fifth-round pick Gary Barnidge early next week.

Hayden is a defensive tackle from Wisconsin and will compete for a backup job behind starters Damione Lewis and Maake Kemoeatu. Bernadeau is a guard from Division II Bentley College and faces steep competition to make the 53-man regular-season roster.

CREAMER STILL ON TOP
SYLVANIA, Ohio (AP) - Picking up where she left off after a course-record 60, Paula Creamer shot a 6-under-par 65 Friday to build a six-stroke lead through two rounds of the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic.

Chasing her third win this season on the LPGA Tour, Creamer shattered the tournament's 36-hole record by six shots. She stands at 17-under 125 - the lowest two-round total on tour this year by five strokes.

The 21-year-old Creamer, who missed the cut at the Farr a year ago, needed a birdie on one of the two closing par-5 holes to tie the tour record for fewest shots taken through two rounds. Instead, she parred both, missing a short birdie putt and then saving a par on the 18th after missing the green with her approach.

Creamer had seven birdies and her only bogey of the tournament a day after she had 11 birdies including nine of the final 11 holes. The 60 eclipsed by a shot the course record of defending champion Se Ri Pak.

MACKENZIE LEADS CLASSIC
SILVIS, Ill. — Kenny Perry arrives at the putting green and the routine begins.

Players touch him. They ask what he's eating.

"In my 22 years out here, that's never happened," Perry said.

It's happening now because he's on the best roll of his career.

Perry again sizzled following a sluggish start and was two strokes off the lead after the second round of the John Deere Classic on Friday.

Playing as well as anyone on the PGA Tour the past two months, the 47-year-old Perry birdied six of his final 10 holes while shooting 5-under 66. That put him in a three-way tie for second place at 11-under 131 with first-round co-leader Charlie Wi (67) and Eric Axley (66).

The strong finish wasn't enough to move past Will MacKenzie (64), who jumped to the top of the leaderboard earlier in the day and is 13-under, but it kept Perry in contention for his third victory in five starts.

STABLER TAKES LEAVE FROM UA BROADCASTS
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama football color analyst Ken Stabler has been granted a leave of absence for the upcoming season following his arrest on a drunken driving charge.

"It is with much regret that I will not be part of Crimson Tide football broadcasts this coming year, but there are matters in my personal life that demand my full attention at this time," Stabler said in a statement released through the university. "I will deeply miss being part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network team and the wonderful interaction that I always enjoy with the many Tide fans throughout the season."

Stabler's arrest in south Alabama in June was at least the third time he has been charged with DUI.

A star quarterback for Alabama in the 1960s, Stabler led the Oakland Raiders to a Super Bowl title in 1977. He also played for the Houston Oilers and New Orleans Saints during a 15-year NFL career.

Stabler has been the Tide's color analyst for 10 years. He will be replaced by Tom Roberts for the 2008 season.

CORRECTION
Jeremy Buckner was the player for the Sumter 14-year-old all-star baseball team shown swinging the bat in the photograph on page 6B in Friday's edition of The Item. He was incorrectly identified as Maleeke Gibson in the cutline.

See more at www.theitem.com