Kim keeps State Farm LPGA lead, but Wie closes to within one

7/19/2008

Christina Kim's second-round 68 at the LPGA State Farm Classic looked ordinary compared to her opening 63, but it included a birdie putt on her last hole that gave her a one-stroke lead over the charging Michelle Wie and three others.

Kim was the first-day leader, but said Friday was, by comparison, a fight.
She bogeyed the par-5 sixth hole and saved par on her opening hole only after finding the green with her second shot from behind a line of trees well off the fairway.

Right behind her is the 18-year-old Wie, playing easily her best golf of the year while shooting a 65 that pulled her to 12 under for the tournament.
Wie, who has never won an LPGA tournament, is playing only part time this year after enrolling at Stanford. She played aggressively and counted on her short game and the forgiveness of the wide-open Panther Creek Country Club course.

Kim finished second last year at the State Farm to Sherri Steinhauer, losing on Steinhauer's birdie putt on her last hole.

Tseng on Friday matched her opening-round 66, sinking birdie putts on five of her last eight holes before bogeying her last to fall back to 12 under.

Leaderboard – Round 2:

1. Christine Kim               63 68 131 -13
2. Sherri Turner                66 66 132 -12
    Ji Young Oh                 66 66 132 -12
    Yani Tseng                  66 66 132 -12
    Michelle Wie                 67 65 132 -12
6. Sun young Yoo             64 69 133 -11
7. Katie Futcher                70 64 134 -10
    Na Yeon Choi               67 67 134 -10
9. Wendy Doolan              67 68 135 - 9
    Jee Young Lee              65 70 135 - 9
    Kyeong Bae                  68 67 135 - 9
    Stacy Prammanasudh    69 66 135 - 9
    Eva Dahllof                   68 67 135 - 9

Source: LPGA Tour