Moriya leading LA Open

Moriya leading LA Open

Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand plays a shot from the fairway on the sixth hole during the second round of the LA Open golf tournament at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles on Friday. (AP Photo)
Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand plays a shot from the fairway on the sixth hole during the second round of the LA Open golf tournament at the Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles on Friday. (AP Photo)

LOS ANGELES: Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand is leading after two rounds of the LA Open in her latest bid to join sister Ariya as an LPGA Tour winner.

Moriya shot a bogey-free 5-under par 66 on Friday at the Wilshire Country Club to get to 8-under 134 in the LPGA Tour's first event in Los Angeles since 2005. The 23-year-old started quickly with birdies on the par-5 second, par-4 third and par-3 fourth holes and added two more on the par-4 11th and par-5 13th.

"I'm just trying to hit the fairways and greens. That’s the key for this week,” Moriya said after her round. 

Moriya, ranked 17th in the world, has been one of the most consistent players on the women's tour in the past two years, with 21 top 10 finishes in her career and three so far this year. Sister Ariya, with seven tour victories and ranked sixth in the world, was at even par heading into the third round.

One stroke behind Moriya at 7 under par is Marina Alex of the United States, who shot a 68 on Friday. Ryu So-yeon was 6 under after a 69, and fellow South Korean players Park Inbee (71) and Ji Eun-jee (69) were at 5 under. Park was the first-round leader at 66. Lexi Thompson was 3 under after a 71.

Top-ranked Shanshan Feng followed her opening 74 with a 67 to get to 1 under.

Brooke Henderson, the Canadian star who won last week in Hawaii, had a 79 to miss the cut.

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