Park Hee-young and Jang Ha-na fought through gusty wind and early rain yesterday to share the second-round lead at the LPGA Taiwan Championship at the Miramar Golf Country Club in New Taipei City’s Linkou District.
The South Korean players each shot their second straight three-under 69s.
They also each had only one bogey, Jang on the par-four 15th, when she got a chip only halfway to the hole and missed a 20-footer, and Park on the par-four 16th when she drove into a bunker and came up well short of the green in two.
Photo: CNA
“This week is more like just be patient is very important, because weather is so bad and the golf condition so bad, too,” 24-year-old Jang said. “That’s why I’m just hitting fairway, the green. Very important this week. Yep, this weather, this score.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson (71) was a stroke back along with China’s Feng Shanshan (69), South Korea’s Ryu So-yeon (68) and South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace (70).
Kaohsiung-born Candie Kung was tied for 10th place on two-under after a 70.
Defending champion Lydia Ko was tied for 18th at one-under after a 73 along with Taiwan’s Tsai Pei-ying (72). The top-ranked New Zealander won by nine strokes last year and has four LPGA Tour victories this year.
Park was prepared for the conditions heading into the Asian Swing.
“I expect a lot of rain, so I had practice,” the 29-year-old said, “It’s about just one week, but I had a lot of practice with the trajectory. Different kind of shot from the range, which is a lot of help this week also. So that’s why I hit it a lot close today even with the wind and the rain.”
Ryu also came prepared.
“I’ve been working on having a low ball shape,” Ryu said. “I’ve been practicing like low ball and high ball, so I had no problem to control the low one. Luckily, all shots worked pretty well, so I didn’t have any like major miss shots ... Only one bogey with this weather is pretty positive.”
Park and Jang each have two LPGA Tour victories. Jang won earlier this season in Florida and Singapore, while Park won events in 2011 and 2013.
Park played the first seven holes in four-under in the worst conditions of the round.
“Always difficult with wind,” Park said. “I have to play every single shot really careful and more think about. Makes more tired.
Jang also played well in the bad early conditions.
“Just say: ‘Trust yourself. You great player. Just be patient. Middle of the green is fine. Two-putt is pretty good. Par score is pretty good,’” Jang said.
Home favorite Yani Tseng was tied for 65th at eight-over, following an opening 79 with a 73.
She won the inaugural event in 2011 and took the last of her 15 LPGA Tour titles in March 2012.
US Women’s Open champion Brittany Lang was another shot back after rounds of 75 and 78.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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