American Cristie Kerr carded a tournament-record eight-under par 64 on Thursday to take a three-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis in the LPGA Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
Kerr, ranked third in the world, birdied nine of the first 15 holes at Guadalajara Country Club.
She gave a stroke back with a bogey at 17 en route to her final total.
Photo: AFP
Japanese star Ai Miyazato, US Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer, South Korea’s Choi Na-yeon and Australia’s Katherine Hull were tied on 68, with South Koreans Park Hee-young and Kim In-kyung a further shot back on 69.
Taiwan’s Candie Kung was two shots further back, while compatriot Yani Tseng, who is 14 points ahead of second-place Miyazato in the player of the year race, struggled to a 76.
Michelle Wie shot a 78 before withdrawing with a back injury.
Ochoa, the former world No. 1 who retired from the LPGA Tour in April, is making a cameo appearance and carded a 74.
Ochoa capped her round with her second double bogey of the day.
“It’s good to be back,” said the Mexican star, who had her husband — Aeromexico chief executive Andres Conesa — serving as caddie.
“It would be better if I had a better round today. Especially the end of the day was a tough one because I tried really hard to stay around par and just finish really good. But nothing I can do now,” she said.
Ochoa said Conesa did “pretty good” carrying the bag.
Additional reporting by staff writer
AUSTRALIAN MASTERS
Reuters, MELBOURNE, Australia
Tiger Woods produced a topsy-turvy one-over par second round of 72 at the Australian Masters yesterday, while Sergio Garcia completed a remarkable turnaround to soar into contention for a first win in two years.
Defending champion Woods, who could end the year without a title for the first time since turning professional in 1996, mixed three birdies with four bogeys to finish on one under 141.
The American was nine shots behind Australia’s Adam Bland, who followed his first round 65 with a four-under 67 in blustery, humid conditions to take a two-stroke lead over compatriot Andre Stolz (67).
Spain’s Garcia, who had a terrible first 16 holes on Thursday before two late birdies allowed him to start the day at Victoria Golf Club on two over, soared up the leaderboard with a six-under 65 to finish on four-under 138.
“It just seemed like it was one of those days,” the 30-year-old Garcia said after putting himself into contention to claim a first title since he won the Castello Masters in 2008.
“We were making the right decisions at the time and [if you] put that with the way I hit the ball it ... was one of those rounds where everything was on,” he said.
Woods began with a birdie on the par-four first but he also produced bogeys at the par-four fifth and par-three seventh before he made a birdie on the par-five ninth.
The world No. 2 was then also slightly disrupted when playing partner Robert Allenby’s wayward drive, that had drifted left on the 10th hole, hit a spectator on the head.
The bloodied man, who was knocked to the ground and lay still for several minutes, was treated by medical staff but managed to smile and wave to the crowd and an apologetic Allenby as he was taken away for further care.
Woods continued his patchy form with back-to-back bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes before he consolidated with three successive pars.
He missed an eagle putt on the par-five 17th though managed to grab his third birdie of the round before a wayward drive and second shot on 18 left him with a long birdie putt that he pushed well left.
SINGAPORE OPEN
AFP, SINGAPORE
Australia’s Adam Scott took a two-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the Barclays Singapore Open yesterday, while defending champion Ian Poulter made a charge to lie in second spot before bad light stopped play.
US Open champion Graeme McDowell is also nicely poised for the weekend, posting a three-under 68 for a total of nine-under par 133 to tie for third with Swede Fredrik Andersson Hed and South Korea’s Kang Kyung-nam.
Poulter and Scott shook off any fatigue they may have had playing 30 gruelling holes, needing to complete their first round from Thursday, when play was also halted because of fading light.
In fact, the two men relished the chances offered by the par-71 Tanjong course at Sentosa Golf Club with Poulter carding the round’s lowest score of eight-under 63 for a total 10-under 132.
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