Angel Yin leads LPGA Championship
Angel Yin from the U.S. shot a seven-under 65 with an eagle and six birdies and one bogey — which she hit on the par-3 17th hole — to take the sole lead in the KEB Hana Bank Championship after two rounds. Yin is a consistent player with great ability to hit her tee shots long and make those must-do putts; and was brimming with confidence in making these.
Chasing after Yin, two shots behind, are Park Sung-hyun, Chun In-gee and Ko Jin-young.
Park failed to keep her name atop the leader board although she did overcome a crisis on the par-5 13th hole. After shooting a bogey on the second hole, the LPGA rookie sensation bounced back immediately on the next hole with a birdie. Park enjoyed a winning streak until she hit her second shot way left from a down-heel lie on the 13th.
She declared her ball unplayable in the deep rough and took a penalty stroke. She hit her fourth shot near a small bed of reeds, failing to reach the green. After a chip shot, she made a short putt, bogeying the hole.
Park then bogeyed the par-4 16th to end the round with a three-under 69, shooting six birdies against three bogeys. Her loss of concentration in the latter part of the round left her in joint second place.
Chun shot a seven-under 65. After collecting two birdies and one bogey on the front nine, she incredibly birdied six holes on the back nine, calmly holing every clutch putt.
Ko also played impressively on the day with eight birdies against three bogeys.
Tied for fifth place are five players: Bae Seon-woo and Kim Ji-Hyun, and Cristie Kerr, Marina Alex and Lizette Salas from the U.S.
Bae played a flawless game, gathering five birdies to shoot a 5-under par 67. Kim was also in good shape, firing a four-under 68. On the front nine, Kim made a precious eagle on the par-5 fifth hole, while collecting birdies on the seventh and eighth.
Kerr played a bogey-free round of four-under 68; Alex shot a three-under 69, collecting four consecutive birdies on the final four holes against one bogey; while Salas birdied six holes against three bogeys.
Overnight leader Kim Min-sun ended her round with a one-under 71, and did Minjee Lee with four birdies and three bogeys.
Chella Choi tied for 10th place with two others, after a round of 2-under par 70 with six birdies against four bogeys.
Ryu So Yeon birdied five holes against one bogey to place her name in 18th place on the leader board. In-Kyung Kim made six birdies against four bogeys to tie for 25th.
At the moment, Korea has four players among the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings: World No. 1 Ryu So Yeon, No. 2 Park Sung-hyun, No. 5 In Gee Chun and No. 8 In-Kyung Kim.