Rookie Park seizes Volvik lead
Defending champion Ariya hits six-under 66 to leave her six shots back along with sister Moriya
>> CHICAGO: Defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn improved in the second round of the Volvik Championship on Friday, hitting a six-under-par 66 to stay six shots off the pace.
The world No.3 from Thailand, who shot a disappointing 72 in the opening round in Ann Habor, Michigan, had seven birdies and one bogey on the second day.
She had a total of 138 for joint 16th along with sister Moriya, who hit a successive 69, and Thidapa Suwannapura, who matched Ariya’s 66.
No.2 Ryu So-Yeon of South Korea was one 143.
Ariya and Ryu could dethrone topranked Lydia Ko, who is not playing at the Volvik event, this week.
South Korean rookie Park SungHyun fired a 65 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead.
Park fired six of her eight birdies on the back nine on the way to a 12-under-par total of 132 and a twoshot lead over Australian Minjee Lee and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen. Lee carded a six-under 66 and Pettersen signed for a 67.
“I started birdie-birdie on the first two holes and after that I kind of lost it a little bit,” said Park, who parred seven straight holes before picking up a stroke at the 10th to start a run of three birdies in a row.
“From that point on, I think my putting kind of came back alive,” added Park, who notched seven victories on the Korean LPGA tour last year.
Although she leads the Rookie of the Year race with three top-four finishes, she doesn’t feel she has played to her potential on the LPGA Tour this season.
“I’ve definitely felt the pressure and that’s probably one of the biggest reasons why I haven’t performed up to my standards this year,” she said. “This week I’m able to let things go a little bit more and play my game.”
South Korea’s Ryu made the cut on the number at one-under par — stretching her streak of cutsmade to 64 events, a run dating back to 2014.
After a first-round 72, Ryu was in trouble early with bogeys at two of her first three holes.
After a birdie and one more bogey put her at two-over for the tournament she got back to even with an eagle at the par-five 14th, and picked up what proved a crucial birdie at 17.
Notable names were not around for the weekend include two-time major winner Chun In-Gee, Kim Sei-Young and American Michelle Wie.