Lindberg, Park share lead
Pernilla Lindberg and Sung Hyun Park share the lead at the ANA Inspiration after two rounds of play.
RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF.
— Michelle Wie fought through vertigo, Lexi Thompson battled a balky putter — and Pernilla Lindberg and
Sung Hyun Park quietly broke away Friday at the ANA Inspiration.
Park and Lindberg, a former Oklahoma State golfer, shared the lead at a tournament-record 12-under 132, three strokes ahead of
Jessica Korda after two rounds in hot and mostly calm conditions at Mission Hills.
Thompson was 4 under after an even-par 72, undone by a series of short missed putts a year after a rules violation cost her four strokes in regulation in an eventual playoff loss.
“I hit it really well today,” Thompson said. “I just struggled on the greens.”
Fighting dizziness caused by a virus, Wie followed her opening 75 with a bogey-free 67 to get to 2 under.
“Saw one golf ball today, which was good,” Wie said.
With little fanfare five groups in front of the Thompson-Wie morning pairing, the fourth-ranked Park shot a 64 for the best round of the week. The U.S. Women’s Open champion played a nine-hole stretch in 7 under. She holed out for eagle from 100 yards on the par-4 15th to cap the run.
“I was super-focused at the U.S. Open, and felt just as focused today,” the 24-yearold South Korean player said. “I just felt really good about my driver. The shots fell in just as I wanted.”
Lindberg had a 67 in the final group of the morning session. The 31-year-old Swede had the first-round lead at 65, and was the only player without a bogey the first two days.
“Just not put myself in too much trouble and then my short game and putting have been great,” Lindberg said. “I’m just collecting so much experience out here every year, that I’m getting more and more ready just to be in this situation. Every time I’m there, I’m just so much more comfortable.”
She hit inside 2 feet to set up birdies on the par-4 13th and par-4 14th and parred the final four holes. The leaders broke the 36-hole record of 11 under set by Lorena Ochoa in 2006.
Hossler leads in Houston as Fowler, Spieth chase
HUMBLE, TEXAS — Beau
Hossler was steady while better-known players faltered down the stretch Friday at the Houston Open, leaving him with a oneshot lead heading into the weekend.
The 23-year-old Hossler shot a 4-under 68 for a two-day total of 11-under 133, good enough for the second 36-hole lead of his rookie season. He shared the lead with Dustin Johnson at the halfway mark at Pebble Beach before falling out of contention.
Hossler opened with a bogey but didn’t drop another shot the rest of the day, finishing with a wedge from 114 yards to inside 3 feet to save par on the tough par-4 18th. He said patience will be key as he seeks his first PGA Tour victory.
“The reality is I’m 11 under par. More than likely 18 under is going to win the tournament unless the conditions are tough, so there’s a long way to go,” Hossler said. “It’s not like I can go shoot even par and win the tournament. But I’m looking forward to the challenge of the weekend.”
Rickie Fowler was tied with Hossler before he hooked his drive into the water on 18, leading to bogey. He shot 68 to join Sam Ryder, Abraham Ancer
and Nicholas Lindheim at 10 under.
Jordan Spieth’s putter heated up before his momentum stalled with a missed 3-footer on the 16th hole. He shot 67 and was two shots back as he seeks his first win of the season on the eve of the Masters. Spieth lost in a playoff in Houston in 2015 and went on to win the first of his three major titles the following week at Augusta National.