Lindsey chases Korea duo
SOUTH Korea’s Mi Hyun Kim and and In-Kyung Kim share the second-round lead in the Wegmans LPGA tournament.
In-Kyung Kim, a teen rookie on the US women’s tour, carded a five-under-par 67, despite dropping a shot at the 18th hole.
Mi Hyun Kim, with eight Tour wins, fired a four-under 68 with four birdies over the back nine for a two-day total of 137.Australia’s Lindsey Wright is three shots off the pace, sharing third place with Mexico’s world No.1, Lorena Ochoa, while Aussie Rachel Hetherington is a further shot adrift.
“After the 9th hole, I was seven-under,” said Mi Hyun Kim. “But I made a birdie at No.11.
“After that, I felt very good. But after, when I made bogey at 15, I was between clubs. Sometimes, when I’m (sic) clubs I try to go longer club and go over the green. When I try the short club, I’m very short. So that’s why I played so-so on the back nine.”
The leaders are two shots ahead of American Solheim Cup player Angela Stanford, whose double-bogey at 18 left her on 139.
“I think I struggle on the greens here, and I think I’ve never been comfortable on them,” said Stanford.
“But I felt a lot more comfortable this year, and I just think they are so much faster than they appear.”
Ochoa, seeking her third win of the season, had three birdies and three bogeys to be three strokes behind the leaders.
“You just need to understand you are going to make mistakes and you are going to make a few bogeys,” she said.
“It’s part of the game. In my personal opinion, I always say try to be aggressive.
“It doesn’t matter how tough the conditions are, and try to make as many birdies. I’m very happy.” First-round leader Cristie Kerr followed here six-under 66 with a three-over 75 to drop into a tie for sixth place with three others.
Kerr had successive bogeys on 13 and 14, and also finished her day with a double-bogey on 18.
Canada’s Alena Sharp, whose first-round 67 was her best of the year, shot a two-over 74 to join Kerr in sixth place on 141. She bogeyed 12 and 16 before a birdie on 17.
Joining Kerr and Sharp in sixth place aree Sweden’s Maria Hjorth and Aussie Rachel Hetherington.
Defending champion, South Korea’s Jeong Jang is one of 13 players tied for 19th.
Agence France-Presse