World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa faltered in the sweltering heat at the HSBC Women’s Champions tournament in Singapore yesterday, with Angela Stanford of the US and South Korea’s Kim Song-hee tied for the lead at the halfway mark.
The American and South Korean topped the leaderboard at five-under for 139 as they head into the weekend at the US$1.3-million tournament, the second tournament of the USLPGA season.
Taiwan’s world No. 5 Yani Tseng was two shots off the lead after shooting a five-under 67, while Teresa Lu shot a 74 to sit on two-over and Candie Kung stuttered to a 76 for a three-over total.
Ochoa’s hopes of reclaiming the title she won two years ago appeared remote as the Mexican made four bogeys and carded a seven-over for a three-over total of 147, leaving her tied in 39th position.
Stanford, ranked No. 10 in the world, made four birdies, but dropped shots on the back nine with three bogeys.
Kim, who shares the lead with Stanford going into the third round, was two-under for the day as she fired a 70.
She made four birdies at the Tanah Merah Country Club course, but bogeyed the 12th and 17th holes.
“Overall, I didn’t make many mistakes today and putting-wise, also good,” Kim said through a translator.
Defending champion Shin Ji-yai was three shots behind the leaders, with a one-under round taking the world No. 2’s total to two-under 142.
“I think I still have a chance to win because I think last year [there was a bigger gap at the top of the leaderboard],” the South Korean champion said.
Japan’s Ai Miyazato put in another solid performance to put herself in contention, sharing third place with four others, including Juli Inkster of the US and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, the world No. 3.
Miyazato, who won the season opener in Thailand last week, posted a 71 for a four-under total of 140.
Meanwhile, new LPGA commissioner Michael Whan said Asia is clearly capable of hosting one of women’s major championships in the future.
The top four professional women’s tournaments do not have the tradition or stability of the men’s equivalents, but none has ever been played outside North America or Europe.
“There is certainly zero doubt that the [Asian] markets we are in can handle a major, that we can get media coverage, that we can get television coverage and that the players would come,” Whan told Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper. “All of those check marks are checked and so is it feasible? The answer is yes, it is.”
Of the current majors, only the women’s British Open is played outside the US, with the Kraft Nabisco Championship, LPGA Championship and US women’s Open rounding out the quartet, as classified by the LPGA.
The Ladies European Tour classes the Evian Masters, which is played in France, as a major.
The lucrative Asian golf market is becoming increasingly attractive to professional tours, with the men’s USPGA, European Tour and World Golf Championship all now sanctioning events on the continent.
In women’s golf, however, the commercial growth has been matched by Asian playing success, with seven out of the current top 10 on the LPGA money list hailing from the continent.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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