Chonburi, Thailand (Sports Network) - Stacy Lewis turned in a second-round 69
on Friday to maintain a 3-stroke lead at the Honda LPGA Thailand
The world No. 3 Lewis is now 12-under 132 through 36 holes.
Ariya Jutanugarn, who is playing courtesy of a sponsor invite, vaulted up the
leaderboard with a second-round 66 at Siam Country Club's Pattaya Old Course.
The Thailand native began Friday in a tie for 10th place and ended alone in
second at 9-under.
So Yeon Ryu, ranked eighth in the world, and Beatriz Recari both shot 68s to
end 36 holes at 8-under. They are tied for third place with Catriona Matthew,
who carded a 69.
Lizette Salas birdied three of her first four holes on Friday and later added
an eagle on the par-5 10th to get within a stroke of Lewis, but she faltered
with a pair of bogeys down the stretch and finished with a second-round 69.
Se Ri Pak (68) is tied with Salas at 7-under, while world No. 4 Inbee Park
(71) is a stroke back in eighth place. Park was tied for third entering Friday
after an opening-round 67.
Fifteen-year-old amateur sensation Lydia Ko and last year's runner up Ai
Miyazato both carded 71s to move into a tie for ninth place at minus-4. Ko
recently won the New Zealand Women's Open to become the youngest victor in
Ladies European Tour history, while Miyazato was a 2010 champion at this
event.
Karrie Webb (71) and Jessica Korda (67) also sit at 4-under.
World No. 1 and two-time defending champion Yani Tseng rebounded from her
opening-round 75 with a 68 on Friday. Last year, Tseng carded a 73 in round
one, but rallied with back-to-back 65s in the second and third rounds to jump
back into contention.
Joining Tseng at 1-under is Jiyai Shin, who bested the former at last week's
season-opening Handa Women's Australian Open and jumped to No. 6 in the world
as a result. Shin has turned in rounds of 70 and 73 thus far.
Lewis, who finished tied for 15th last week in Australia, immediately
added to her lead on Friday with a birdie on the opening hole. The 2012 LPGA
Tour Player of the Year then cooled with four straight pars, allowing Salas to
get within three stokes courtesy of her scintillating start.
A birdie on the sixth got Lewis to 11-under, but she closed her outward nine
with a bogey as Salas was executing her eagle on the 10th; a feat which
quickly narrowed the margin to a single stroke.
Lewis, though, rebounded with back-to-back birdies at the start of her back
nine. She then bogeyed the par-4 14th, but her birdie a hole later, coupled
with Salas' dropped shots on Nos. 13 and 17, negated the threat.
NOTES: With her win at the New Zealand Women's Open, Ko became the youngest
victor in Ladies European Tour history. She finished third last week in
Australia ... Jutanugarn's sister Moriya, an LPGA rookie, is 2-over through 36
holes ... The field this week is comprised of 70 players -- 60 LPGA Tour
players and 10 sponsor invites ... Michelle Wie finished second here in 2011.
She is 1-over ... Last year, Tseng closed with a 6-under 66 to overtake Ai
Miyazato. Tseng also won this title by five strokes in 2011.
The Sports Network