South Korea’s Hye-Jin Choi maintained a two-stroke lead at the Buick LPGA Shanghai despite shooting a 2-over 74 in blustery conditions at Sheshan Golf Club on Friday.
Choi is at 6-under 138 after two rounds as she seeks her first win on the LPGA Tour. She carded two birdies and four bogeys, including three over a six-hole stretch on the front nine.
“It’s my fifth year in LPGA Tour. I had a lot of chances before but I kind of missed it,” Choi said. “I had a lot of experience through that, and through the experience if I win this week … maybe next time I have another chance, this experience will also help me.”
Countrywoman Amy Yang (71 on Friday) and Australia’s Grace Kim (72) are tied for second place at 4-under.
Yang was one of only six golfers to shoot under par in the second round. She finished with four birdies and three bogeys.
“Definitely playing tough, yeah,” Yang said. “With the wind picked up today, yeah, it was tough.”
Kim had one bogey and one birdie on the front nine and repeated the pattern on the back.
“This is a beast of a golf course,” Kim said. “And with the wind picking up today, like I just had to play as most patient as possible. You know, we had a bit of gusts here and there and a few waits as well, so I feel like the momentum kind of kept getting stopped.”
Another shot back are Japan’s Erika Hara (72) and Rio Takeda (73) and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (74).
Defending champion Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand (73) and hometown favorite Ruoning Yin (74) are tied for seventh at 2-under.
South Korea’s Minji Kang and Thailand’s Natthakritta Vongtaveelap each recorded a hole-in-one. Kang aced the 178-yard sixth hole using a 6-hybrid and Vongtaveelap posted hers at the 148-yard fourth hole with a 9-iron.
“I saw that went in,” Kang said. “I didn’t really expect … made another hole-in-one this year. It was my second hole-in-one this year, but so I was surprised and happy with it.”
This is the sixth edition of the Buick LPGA Shanghai and the first at the 6,735-yard Sheshan Golf Club, which previously hosted the HSBC Champions tournament 11 times.
Shanghai is the first of four events on the LPGA Tour’s late-season Asian Swing, with upcoming stops in South Korea, Malaysia and Japan.