Peerless Park hikes lead to 4 with a 66
LAGUNA – Sung Hyun Park doubled her overnight lead to four behind a solid 66 expected from a player of her status and caliber although local amateur Yuka Saso kept impressing the world No. 1 with her own superb game in the second round of The Country Club (TCC) Ladies Invitational here yesterday.
While Park’s bogey-free 32-34 card fashioned out in another hot, windy conditions hardly came as a surprise for the field and the gallery which also grew in numbers, Saso continued to amaze the world’s best with a 68 spiked by late birdies at the front of the TCC layout that continued to receive a beating from the Korean ace.
After a shaky finish of two birdies and two bogeys at the back and settled for an opening 69 Wednesday, Park all figured out the 6461-yard course, particularly its tricky surface, gunning down birdies on Nos. 10 and 15 and sustaining her assault at the front of the Tom Weiskoph layout, netting her four birdies for that 68 and a nine-under 135.
Though half of the 125-player starting field still have to complete their second round play, no one is expected to make a big surge given the playing conditions in the afternoon.
“Putting was the key. I stroked them better than the first round. I made a few adjustments and it worked perfectly,” said Park, whose impeccable iron game set up five birdie putts from close range that went with her long birdie putt from 25 feet on the dif-