Team Asia was on the verge of successive Lexus Cup victories after the second day of play at the season-ending LPGA teams event yesterday.
Although Team International rallied after failing to secure a point on the opening day, winning two of the fourball matches at the Vines Resort and Country Club, the defending champions claimed another three and a half points to hold a commanding seven-point lead with one day to play.
Both sides are going to be a player down on the final day, with only 11 of the 12 singles matches to be played.
PHOTO: AFP
Asia captain Pak Se-ri elected to rest her troublesome left shoulder today with her team well on top, while Norway's Suzann Pettersen withdrew from the tournament due to the recurrence of a serious back injury yesterday.
Both teams will get half a point as a result, leaving Asia needing just two points for victory in the third Lexus Cup.
An out-of-sorts Pettersen walked off the course on the 11th hole, leaving American partner Natalie Gulbis to play the rest of the round alone against South Korean pair Lee Jee-young and Lee Seon-hwa.
Second on the LPGA money list after her breakthrough year, Pettersen had been struggling for form on the opening two days and had made four bogeys in the opening 10 holes yesterday.
A back injury almost curtailed her career in 2005 and International captain Annika Sorenstam was supportive of the decision to withdraw.
"It's not good news, she's had such a fantastic season," Sorenstam said. "But she has to make the right decision for herself and for her health."
Pak, who suffered a recurrence of a shoulder problem on Friday, led the way yesterday by teaming with fellow Korean Kim In-kyung for a 1-up win over Sweden's Sorenstam, and Scotland's Catriona Matthew.
Although her partner struggled and then retired, the glamorous Gulbis, who has often been criticized for having more style than substance, played some outstanding golf and knocked in six birdies for the day in a brave effort.
But it wasn't enough to stop a 2-up win for the Korean pair, who only sunk four birdies, but didn't make a bogey between them.
Stacy Prammanasudh, teamed with fellow American Morgan Pressel, produced the shot of the day knocking an approach dead on 17 to enable her team to square their match against Taiwan's Candie Kung and Japan's Ayako Uehara.
Pressel was just millimeters away from snatching victory with her birdie effort on 18, before Kung halved the match when her putt caught the lip and dropped.
Brazil's Angela Park and Australia's Nikki Campbell claimed the first point for the internationals with a 3 and 2 win over Koreans Jang Jeong and Anh Shi-hyun, before Americans Nicole Castrale and Cristie Kerr notched a 3 and 2 win over another Korean duo, Sarah Lee and Meena Lee.
The other match saw Taiwan's Amy Hung and Korea's Ji Yai Shin beat Sweden's Marai Hjorth and American Brittany Lincicome 2 and 1.
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