Defending champion Suzann Pettersen moved to within just one shot of pacesetters Anna Nordqvist and Katherine Hull-Kirk after 36 holes at the LPGA KEB-HanaBank Championship in South Korea yesterday.
The world No. 2 from Norway carded her second straight three-under-par 69 at the Sky72 Golf Club in Incheon, west of Seoul.
Pettersen is seeking her fourth win of the season, and third since last month, as she tries to overtake South Korean Inbee Park on the money list and the world rankings.
Photo: AFP
Swedish golfer Nordqvist and Australia’s Hull-Kirk have identical scores of 67 and 70 over the first two rounds of the 54-hole tournament.
Yesterday, Nordqvist had four birdies against two bogeys, while Hull-Kirk had a more eventful day with five birdies and one eagle negated by three bogeys and one double-bogey.
Joining Pettersen on six-under-par were South Koreans Amy Yang and Park Ju-young. Both shot a one-under 71 yesterday.
Park, the younger sister of two-time LPGA winner Park Hee-young, is playing in her first LPGA tournament. Park Hee-young shot 75 to drop to four-over 148, good for only a tie for 53rd.
The crowded leaderboard has four golfers at five-under 139, including the 2011 LPGA Rookie of the Year Seo Hee-kyung.
Inbee Park drifted out of contention with a one-over 73, which left her tied for 22nd. She made four birdies, but also had three bogeys and a double-bogey.
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng was tied for 28th on one-over, while compatriot Candie Kung was tied for 44th two shots further back.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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