South Korean Kim In-kyung said that strong winds created an element of luck in the second round at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii on Thursday.
Kim shot 69 to share the halfway lead with compatriot Kim Sei-young at 10-under 134 at the Ko Olina course near Honolulu.
“I feel really happy with the [round, because] even though you hit a good shot, in this wind it can [go] anywhere really,” Kim In-kyung told reporters.
Photo: AFP
Meanwhile, Kim Sei-young showed no obvious mental wounds from her recent major meltdown as she carded 67 to tie the lead.
At the ANA Inspiration two weeks ago, she blew a three-shot lead in the final round and faded to finish fourth.
Former world No. 1 Yani Tseng was on even-par after a 70, while fellow Taiwanese Hsu Wei-ling and Min Lee were on one-over and two-over respectively after they both carded 71s.
Another Korean, Inbee Park, was three strokes behind in third place, while defending champion Michelle Wie lurked five shots off the pace in her hometown event.
Wie lamented missing several chances from inside 10 feet, but pleaded extenuating circumstances.
“These greens are tricky. I feel like I’m doing everything I can to try to make the putts,” she said.
“I’m hitting good putts, good speed and there is really nothing you can do when the wind blows it offline or the grain takes it,” she said.
Wie last year won for the first time in the US after previously clinching two LPGA titles in other countries. Two months later she won the US Women’s Open.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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