Seoul: Women’s top two Park Sung-hyun of South Korea and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn were among four players tied for the second-round lead at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship Friday.
Also on eight under at the Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, were England’s Charley Hull, ranked 33, and 29th-ranked Danielle Kang of the US. World number one Park three-putted twice but birdied three of the last six holes for a four-under 68 to secure her position in the leading group on eight under par.
“Overall, it wasn’t a bad round,” she said. “Those miscues stuck in my mind for a bit, but I was able to pick up a handful of birdies as well.”
Ariya bogeyed two of the first four holes but stormed back with six birdies on the back nine for a round of 67 at the par-72 course.
“I didn’t watch the leaderboard because after my front nine, I didn’t care about the lead,” she said, according to Yonhap news agency. “I just played golf.”
Park and Ariya are the only LPGA players with three victories this year.
Hull, who is seeking her first win for nearly two years, said she felt “like my game is up there”.
Japanese teenager Nasa Hataoka, who led after the first round, fell back with a one-over-par 73 to tie for fifth with New Zealand’s Korean-born former world number one Lydia Ko, two shots behind the leaders. — AFP
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
