PATTAYA: Jenny Shin of South Korea took the lead at the Honda LPGA Thailand tournament with a birdie on the last hole of the second round at Siam Country Club Pattaya on Friday.
Shin bogeyed the sixth hole but sank five birdies in the rest of the round, including the par-5 18th. Her round of 4-under 68 put her at 11 under overall and one shot ahead of the field.
Among the eight Thai golfers in the field, only Moriya Jutanugarn, currently ranked 18th in the world, is in close contention, tied for ninth place at 7 under par.
World No.1 Ariya Jutanugarn is three shots behind her sister after struggling to a par 72 that included consecutive double bogeys.
“I got worried and scared after I made a bogey, and then a double bogey, so it was pretty tough for me,” she said afterward. “I’m nervous and worried because I’ve not played well in the last few tournaments.”
Three players were tied for second: Lizette Salas of the United States (68), Minjee Lee of Australia (69), and first-round leader Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea (71).
Shin said she was feeling the heat and thought she could have played better.
“I wasn't hydrated enough this morning and I could feel it by late afternoon,” she said. “I could have made a few more putts. I will try to make sure I'm hydrated more tomorrow.”
Salas said she was seeing the benefit of spending more time in the gym in the offseason.
“I’m not a rookie anymore, I'm a vet, so it's time to get serious,” Salas said. “I’ve found I can be more aggressive with the driving game and things are starting to pay off.”
Lee could have finished as co-leader but a poor approach shot on her last hole slipped off the green and she finished with a bogey.
Two-time champion Amy Yang fired a 6-under 66 to be two shots off the lead in a tie for fifth with Americans Austin Ernst (66) and Amy Olson (67).
Moriya set herself again as a strong local contender after her 68 lifted her into a share of ninth place with Carlota Ciganda of Spain, Katherine Kirk of Australia, and Ryann O'Toole of the US.
Moriya tied for second in Pattaya last year.