South Korea's Inbee Park made four birdies in the first six holes Friday, and she emerged with a one-shot lead over three other players after two rounds of HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
License Photo
South Korea's Inbee Park made four birdies in the first six holes Friday, and she emerged with a one-shot lead over three other players after two rounds of HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore.
Park, the Olympic golf gold medalist at Rio de Janeiro last summer, shot her second consecutive 5-under-par 67 on the Tanjong Course at Sentosa Golf Club. The 134 total leaves her just ahead of South Korea's Mi Jung Hur (second-round 67), Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn (68) and American Michelle Wie (69). After the first round, Wie was on top by one stroke.
Norway's Suzann Pettersen (67) and South Korea's Sung Hyun Park (68) share fifth place at 136.
Sixth players are tied for seventh place at 137: defending champion Ha Na Jang of South Korea, Sei Young Kim of South Korea, Charley Hull of England, Lydia Ko of South Korea, Brooke Henderson of Canada and Anna Nordqvist of Sweden.
Park recorded birdies at the second and third holes, then duplicated the feat at the fifth and sixth holes. She wound up with seven birdies and just one rough hole -- the 12th, where she had a double bogey.
"It's a good round today," Park said. "Obviously I got off to a very hot start. I was able to make some putts early in the round and then I had a little bit of a mistake on No. 12. I had a couple of birdies on the back nine, so I was able to clean up my mess on the back nine."
Wie was eager to play while entering a round in the lead for the first time in more than two years.
"I was just really excited," Wie said. "Honestly I woke up before my alarm clock, just ready to go, just being really excited to be out there, and feeling a little bit of nerves but mostly just excitement."
She also started well, making birdies at No. 2 and No. 3, but the rest of her round was solid but unspectacular: 14 pars and a birdie at No. 13.
"Definitely was a patient round," Wie said. "I had a lot of putts that almost nearly went in. Just kept patient out there today. Made a good birdie on the back nine. It was just a steady round."
Jang stayed in contention in part due to an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole. She also had three birdies in a bogey-free round.
