South Korean Ryu So-yeon shot a seven-under-par 64 on Friday to seize a one-stroke lead after the second round of the LPGA Kingsmill Championship.
Ryu stood on seven-under 135 after 36 holes at Williamsburg, Virginia, with Japan’s Mika Miyazato, South Korean Amy Yang and American Stacy Lewis sharing second on 136.
“I haven’t really consistently shot low scores in like five or six tournaments,” Ryu said. “So I hope I can hold this score the next two days as well.”
Photo: AP
Ryu began on the 10th hole and made her lone bogey of the day on her opening hole. She responded with birdies on 11 and 12, a run of three birdies in a row starting at the 14th hole and another birdie at 18.
Ryu, 25, added birdies on the fourth and par-five seventh to produce the low round of the event so far.
“I’ve been putting really nice,” Ryu said. “I think today just everything was really working well.”
After winning her first LPGA title and her only major to date at the 2011 US Women’s Open, Ryu has won only twice on the tour since — at the 2012 Toledo Classic and 2012 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.
Miyazato, who led after 18 holes with an opening 65, birdied the first hole, but took a bogey at the second and another at the eighth and needed a birdie at the par-five 15th just to finish the day on even-par 71.
Yang opened with three birdies and made two more at the par-five seventh and 15th holes with a lone bogey at the eighth in a round of 67.
Lewis had a bogey-free 66 with back-to-back birdies at six and seven as well as 11 and 12 and another at 15.
South Korea’s second-ranked Inbee Park withdrew after six holes of her second round because of a left thumb injury.
Kaohsiung-born US player Candie Kung carded a second-round three-under-par 68 to give her an even-par total.
Taiwan’s Min Lee, Yani Tseng, Hsu Wei-ling and Cheng Ssu-chia all fell below the cut line.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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