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S Korea's Ahn shines at Gold Coast

Taiwan's Wei Yun-jye plays a shot during the second round of the Ladies Masters at the Royal Pines golf course at the Gold Coast in Australia yesterday. PHOTO: AP

South Korea's Ahn Sun-ju continued her dominance of the Royal Pines resort course yesterday, shooting a 4-under-par 68 to hold a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the ANZ Australian Ladies Masters.

Ahn's two-round total of 12-under 132 followed an opening 64 put her on track for her first win outside South Korea. She had five birdies but bogeyed the 18th in windier conditions yesterday to give her a one-shot lead over Australian Michelle Ellis, who had a second-round 66.

"I had a lot of chances to make birdie but I didn't make them," Ahn said. "I love this course, but I hate the wind."

Ellis, a regular on the LPGA Tour, nearly had a hole-in-one on the par-3 fifth, her tee shot rolling around the cup before popping out and leaving her a tap-in birdie. She bogeyed the eighth hole -- her second-last of the day -- but birdied the ninth to pull to within one of Ahn.

The 30-year-old Ellis is attempting to come back from nearly two years of a serious rib injury which limited her play on the LPGA tour. She's also had to cope with the illness of her father Bob, who had his right leg amputated last year due to cancer.

Taipei 's Tseng Ya-ni keeps her eye on the ball during the Ladies Masters at the Gold Coast, Australia, on Friday. PHOTO: AP

"It's been a rough trot over the last couple of years with my injury," said Ellis. "My dad hasn't been real well. It's been just as emotionally tough off the golf course."

"I think I'm better for it. I have to struggle and learn to stay out there on the LPGA Tour and play through the pain and build a little bit more of character when I'm not hitting it so good."

Lotta Wahlin of Sweden is in third place after a 67 yesterday, three strokes behind Ahn, followed another stroke back by Australian Tamie Durdin (69), and South Korean Shin Ji-yai, whose 66 tied her with Ellis for best round of the day.

Five-time Masters champion Karrie Webb, who won last week's Australian Open at Royal Sydney, was making a charge, moving to 6-under par and within six shots of the lead, before taking a double-bogey seven on the par-5 12th. Webb was just off the green for three before fluffing a chip and three-putting.

She recovered for a 68 after making birdie on 18 and sits at 4-under 139, seven shots back of Ahn. Webb had seven birdies, the double-bogey and another bogey on the par-3 14th.

Amy Yang, an Australian-based South Korean who won the tournament last year as a 16-year-old amateur, triple-bogeyed the same hole and shot 75 yesterday, missing the cut of even-par 144 by two strokes.

US player Cristi Kerr, making her first start of the year, is tied for ninth after her second straight 69 and is six shots off the lead.

Three-time former champion Laura Davies and US star Natalie Gulbis both shot 73 yesterday and are at 2-under, 10 behind Ahn. The popular pair played in back-to-back groups and attracted the largest traveling gallery of the day.

Gulbis, playing in Australia for the second straight week after finishing 15 shots behind Webb at the Australian Open, bogeyed three of four holes yesterday, including a three-putt on the par-3 fifth.

Taiwan's Wei Yun-jye (魏筠潔) shot 71 for a two-round total of 138, while her compatriot Tseng Ya-ni (曾雅妮) shot 69 for a total of 140.
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