South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park posted a six-under-par round of 66 to open a two-shot lead at the halfway point of the US Women’s Open in California.
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New Zealander Ko, at the age of 19 seeking her third major title, followed her opening 73 with a seven-birdie 66 to surge up the leaderboard, finishing the day just three shots off the pace with half the field back in the clubhouse. This was the first time in my career that I attacked in a downhill.
Sung Hyun Park is trying to achieve this week what In Gee Chun accomplished past year and become just the fifth player in the history of the U.S. Women’s Open conducted by the USGA to win in their first appearance.
First-round leader Mirim Lee, who tied a U.S. Open record with an 8-under par on Thursday, teed off in the afternoon on Friday.
Ko dropped a 9-foot birdie putt on the 18th green Saturday to shoot 70 and notch a 7-under 209 total. Her birdie at the 15th proved crucial as it kept her within touching distance of Park. Park shot 37 on the back nine to stay in contention. She atoned for her mistake with a hat-trick of birdies from the first to third, but faltered towards the end of her round as she made bogeys at the seventh and ninth respectively.
Ko got off to a shaky start with a bogey on the first hole before stringing together four straight birdies starting at No. 3. But she went on to have rollercoaster of a day, beginning with back-to-back bogeys on her third and fourth holes to drop out of a share of the lead.
Lang made a strong move up the leaderboard, with her 68 the best score of the day. But I just try and take deep breaths.My caddie, Jason and I, we kind of like to talk, so I’m a little bit more calm.
A birdie on the final hole helped her into the outright lead and she said the conditions were far different from the second round. She hasn’t entirely channeled Phil Mickelson – a six-time U.S. Open runner-up – but she been similarly haunted by this USGA smackdown. I’ve only won once, so obviously I’m not doing a very good job with it. Her appearance in this year’s U.S. Women’s Open marked the second straight appearance for a Kentucky Wildcat in the national championship, which is open to female amateurs and female professionals across the country and globe. She also has won more LPGA titles (13) than those players combined (10).
The eyes of the other golfers will be firmly fixed on Ko as they head into the final 18 holes of the U.S. Women’s Open looking for a little crack in the armor to exploit. But I’m trying to enjoy this tournament. The Stanford product was 2-over on Friday and is 5-over for the tournament.
Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, two of the top names in the field, made the cut after shooting rounds of 69 but were nine shots off the lead. Three weeks ago, she was second in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in a playoff with Brooke Henderson.
“I got some putts rolling”, Ko said.
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INVERNESS, Scotland – Alex Noren of Sweden birdied the last two holes to extend his lead to two shots at the Scottish Open after a third round that ended in heavy rain at the Castle Stuart links. “The way I played today under pressure, if I do that again tomorrow and minimize the mistakes I think I can get an under par round out and to finish this tournament in the red figures would be great”.
