Lee holds six-stroke advantage in Blue Bay LPGA
>> HAINAN: Minjee Lee patiently navigated Jian Lake’s undulating greens again yesterday to stretch her lead to six strokes in the Blue Bay LPGA.
Already a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, the 20-year-old Australian followed her opening seven-underpar 65 with a bogey-free 67 in windier afternoon conditions off Hainan Clear Water Bay.
“I had a pretty solid round,” Lee said. “I had three under the first nine, so I was happy with my start. In the middle, I had a couple loose shots here and there, but I could get up-anddown. Then I finished off with two birdies. Overall, pretty solid round.”
Three days after Typhoon Sarika roared through the South China Sea beach resort, the wind finally kicked up as Lee played the back nine. The wind makes it more difficult to hit targets in valleys and on plateaus on the large, tiered greens.
“I don’t think it’s easy out there,” Lee said. “It’s still windy and the greens are really undulated, so you have to be in the right places. It’s not easy.”
Germany’s Caroline Masson was second at six under after her second straight 69. She birdied four of the last five holes — the lone par coming on a threefoot birdie miss on the par-four 15th.
She won the Manulife LPGA Classic in Canada in September for her first LPGA Tour victory.
Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (71) and American Jessica Korda (72) were five under.
China’s Lin Xiyu (68), South Korea’s Chella Choi (72) and Germany’s Sandra Gal (73) were four under.
Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, the tour leader with five victories, was two under after a 71. Michelle Wie and Charley Hull each shot 70 to also reach two under. Wie got into the field on a sponsor exemption.