Chipped tooth no problem for Kang in Singapore
SINGAPORE — The distraction of a chipped tooth proved to be no problem for Danielle Kang as she shot an 8-under 64 to take a fourstroke lead at the halfway stage of the Women’s World Championship on Friday.
Kang, who won last year’s Women’s PGA Championship for her first major title, equalled the course record at the Sentosa Golf Club to lead the LPGA tournament at 12-under 132.
“Never too bad to tie a course record,” Kang said. “That’s interesting to hear. I like that.”
Nelly Korda, whose sister Jessica won the LPGA Tour event in Thailand last week, had a 66 to be tied for second with fellow American Alex Marina (67) while Minjee Lee (66), Cristie Kerr (67) and Chella Choi (69) were a further stroke back at 7-under.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was tied for 15th at 4 under after a second round of 72. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a second consecutive round of 75 and was tied for 62nd.
Kang, who discovered she had broken a tooth after falling asleep while stretching before shooting a 68 in Thursday’s opening round, had eight birdies, four on the front nine and another four after rounding the turn, to post her second straight bogey-free round.
“(My) game is coming easy right now. There are lots of birdies out there. I’m more focused on being present and just hitting the shots. I’m hitting it well, rolling the putt well. So I’m not really worried about the results of how those shots come out. It feels like just a cruising day.”
Kang said she could still feel her cracked tooth each time she swung the club.
“Every time I hit a shot, I’m like, it keeps scratching — it’s raw here, but it’s OK. I just don’t chew on this side. I’ll be fine,” she said.
“My dentist told me, ‘You don’t break it at that moment’. It’s been broken and it just chips off. So I don’t know how it broke.”