Kim leads fog-suspended U.S. Women's Open

Kim leads fog-suspended U.S. Women's Open









Joe Pantorno, The Sports Xchange June 28, 2013 8:11 PMThe SportsXchange



Lest we forget after one round that Inbee Park was still here to compete for the U.S. Women's Open, she made it quite clear in the second-round fog at Sebonack.

While I.K. Kim took an early round lead at 7 under par, Park, with one of the last rounds of the day, overcame her first two bogeys of the tournament to shoot 4-under 68 on Friday for a two-day total of 9 under.

The world's No. 1-ranked player was able to get under par for the round with a birdie on No. 8. She then sank a 35-foot putt for another birdie on 13 to tie Kim. Two holes later, at the par-5 15th, Park took the lead and added some insurance with a 10-foot birdie putt to give her a two-stroke lead by day's end.

Her putt was the last of the day as fog suspended play for a few late groupings.

Kim was very much in the thick of things in Thursday's first round. Sharing the lead with Park before Ha-Neul Kim took over, I.K. Kim went on to bogey the 18th hole and drop to third place at 4 under.

In the second round, Kim made sure she finished strong, ending on the front nine with two birdies to shoot a 3-under 69.

Ha-Neul Kim, the first-round leader, did not have the same good fortune at Sebonack that she had Thursday. With three bogeys and a double bogey, Ha-Neul shot 5 over for the round and dropped to 1 under overall.

Englishwoman Jodi Ewart Shadoff used a bogey-less 13-hole run to go 3 under on the day and 5 under for the tournament. Two birdies on Nos. 10 and 12 sparked her jump to third place before she bogeyed 14 to finish at 4 under. She has three holes remaining in the second round.

Lizette Salas shot par on day two, staying at 4 under and tied for third. She was momentarily tied with Park at 5 under at the start of the round, but she bogeyed 14 after two straight birdies on Nos. 7 and 8.

Angela Stanford shot a 4 under 68 to jump to fifth place in the second round. She birdied four of the first seven holes on the back nine.