Kerr, Park share lead at Canadian Open
EDMONTON — Cristie Kerr had a chance to slam the door on the rest of the field and take the outright lead in Friday’s second round of the LPGA’s $2-million CN Canadian Women’s Open.
Instead, someone on the course slammed the door on her — right in the middle of her backswing — and Kerr was left tied with world No. 1 Inbee Park atop the leaderboard, both at 8-under par.
France’s Karine Icher and Texas’ Angela Stanford are tied for third at minus-7. Three players ended up sharing fifth: veteran Laura Davies, defending champion Lydia Ko and popular Paula Creamer.
Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., is the top Canadian at even par after shooting her second consecutive 70.
“It scared the absolute crap out of me,” Kerr said of a PortA-Potty door that banged shut on No. 18, her final hole of the day.
“I had a perfect wedge from 100 yards. Then the door slammed. I kind of balked at it and had to make two really good putts to make bogey.
“Why don’t they make PortA-Pottys with foam?”
It was the second straight day that — after playing wonderfully for 17 holes — Kerr made bogey on her final hole of the day.
When bogeys come in the middle of the round, they are easily swept away. But when they come on the final hole they tend to linger like the smell of Limburger cheese.
“Yeah, if it happened on the first hole and I shot 4-under, I wouldn’t have thought about it,” said Florida’s Kerr. “This way it’s bittersweet. Again.
“But I’m very happy to shoot 4-under two days in a row on this course.
“You really have to shape the ball off the tee and be creative.”
Kerr was so dialed in that she almost had a couple of holes-in-one.
On No. 4, her 7-iron from 160 yards just rolled past the pin before stopping three feet away. Then, on No. 11 — from 175 yards with a 6-iron — her tee shot again almost grazed the pin.
“I played beautifully,” said Kerr, who, for the second straight day, hit 14 of the 18 greens in regulation.
“I hit some beautiful shots and some amazing putts.”
No putt was bigger than the one she made on No. 17 — a long snake that broke five or six feet but still wound up going dead centre into the cup moving her back into a tie for the lead with Park.
That was one of four birdies Kerr had on the back nine. She almost made two more.
“On 16, I lipped out. I thought it was in; on 15, I made a great putt and thought that was in as well,” said Kerr, 35, who has 16 career LPGA victories and nearly $15 million in earnings.
With Kerr playing with Park in the same threesome again, the two were able to play a game of ‘can-you-top-this?’
That game started on the first hole when Park, already a winner of six tournaments this year, holed out for birdie from the right bunker.
“I always love to start with a birdie,” said South Korea’s Park. “It’s like a good-luck charm for me. I hardly ever finish over par when I start with a birdie.”
Shooting over par — or anything close to that — certainly didn’t happen on Friday as Park had seven birdies and two bogeys for her 5-under 65, which was one shot off the low round of the day.
As for playing with Kerr in the same threesome again, Park said “It’s always good when you are playing with a partner while she’s making a lot of birdies. It makes you want to have more birdies.
“It already felt like a final round and trying to make more birdies and trying to get the momentum going,” added Park, who had four birdies on her first seven holes. Kerr echoed that. “Sure, it’s always fun to play with Inbee,” she said.“She always plays well and I enjoy playing with her. Probably going to play with her again (Saturday).”