Morgan Soars to a Share of the Lead with 64
American Morgan Pressel (pictured) and Mirim Lee share the lead heading into the week-end at the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California.
The pair sits atop of the leaderboard at 10-under-par. Pressel has got there with rounds of 70 and a career low round of eight-under-par 64 , while Lee has posted rounds of 65 and 69.
They are one clear of Americans Alison Lee (66) and Cristie Kerr (68). Spain’s Maria Hernandez (66), Japan’s Sakura Yokomine (67), American Brittany Lang (68) and Hyo Joo Kim (68) share fifth and just two back.
Morgan said after her round, “It was kinda stress free golf out there today, so it was nice, I had a lot of opportunities, and still even with eight birdies, certainly opportunities that I left out there but I played really really solid out there and I’m happy with the result for sure.”
It has proven to be a difficult week for the Australian players. Karrie Webb is the only one who will play the week-end.
It wasn’t a great day for Webb, having started the day at five-under-par, she got it to six-under-par at the turn with a bogey and two birdies. However, it was a very uncharacteristic back nine for the World Golf of Fame member. A bogey on the 10th was followed by a double on the par 3 11th. She then missed a couple of good birdie opportunities coming in before finding trouble around the 18th green to finish with a bogey. Webb signed for a 75 and is now is in a tie for 46th at two-under-par.
A bogey on the last hole cost Sarah Jane Smith a spot in the field on the week-end. Smith had it going in round 2, she was three-under-par for the day at the turn, having played the back nine first. She birdied the 4th hole to get to three-under-par for the tournament. However, three bogeys in her final four holes were costly. She finished at even par.
Fellow Queenslander Katherine Kirk also finished at even par after rounds of 74 and 70.
The cut was made at one-under-par and 75 players will tee it up on the week-end and compete for the title and their share of the $US1.5 million purse.
Unfortunately Smith and Kirk missed the cut by one shot. Fellow compatriots Minjee Lee (+1) and Sarah Kemp (+3) will also have the week-end off. Lee will now have an anxious wait to see if she gets into next week major.