Stacey Lewis
Overnight co-leader Stacy Lewis of the USA maintained her lead going into Saturday’s third round at the season’s first major. Rolex Rankings No. 28 Lewis recorded three birdies and one bogey at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California to move three-strokes ahead of Yani Tseng, Jane Park and Brittany Lincicome following rounds of 66-69.
Lewis is looking to become a Rolex First-Time Winner this week.
Former winners making a run: Defending champion Yani Tseng fired a 4-under 68 in Friday’s second round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship to jump into a tie for second place with Jane Park and Brittany Lincicome. The three-time major champion recorded seven birdies and three bogeys to end the day three strokes behind second-round leader Stacy Lewis. 2007 Kraft Nabisco winner Morgan Pressel also made a charge on Friday, shooting 69 to move into a tie for fifth with Amy Yang at 5-under.
First round co-leader Brittany Lincicome recorded four birdies and four bogeys en route to a second-round even-par 72.Lincicome, ranked No. 18 in the Rolex Rankings, heads into the weekend three shots off the lead after firing rounds of 66-72. A three-time winner on the LPGA Tour, Lincicome took home the Kraft Nabisco title back in 2009.
In search of her first LPGA victory, Jane Park finds herself in the hunt going into the weekend of the year’s firsts major. Park, whose previous best finish on Tour was a tie for second at both the 2008 SBS Open at Turtle Bay and 2008 P&G Beauty NW and Arkansas Championship Presented by John Q. Hammons, shot rounds of 68-70 to move into a tie for second. She recorded her best finish at the Kraft Nabisco Championship as an amateur, tying for 24th at the 2004 championship.
Rolex Rankings No. 9 Michelle Wie began Friday’s second round in a tie for 54th. After shooting a blistering four-under par 32 on the front-nine, Wie finished the day with a five-under par 67. The six birdies and one bogey round catapulted her into a tie for eighth going into Saturday’s third round. Wie’s previous best finish at a major came when she finished runner-up at the 2005 LPGA Championship.
A total of 75 players made the cut which fell at five-over-par 149.
One early favourite to win this year who missed the cut was Cristie Kerr, who finished at 6-over-par for the first two rounds. Kerr, a two-time major champion, had made 36 consecutive cuts in major championships before this week's Kraft Nabisco. Her last missed cut in a major was the 2001 Women's British Open.
The first round brought in a total of $3,400 for “Finish Strong for Japan”.
In an effort to help all of the children affected by the recent tragedies in Japan, the Members of Mission Hills Country Club along with ClubCorp will participate in the “Finish Strong for Japan” fundraising effort this week during the Kraft Nabisco Championship. They will donate $100 for every birdie, $500 for every eagle and $1000 for any holes-in-one that are made on holes #17 and #18 during all four rounds of the Kraft Nabisco.
All of the proceeds from this week’s fundraising effort are going to UNICEF. The “Finish Strong for Japan” programme was initially launched by title sponsor RR Donnelley during the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup on March 18th - 20th.
Ariya Jutanugarn from Thailand, the only amateur to make the cut, fired rounds of 74-73. and a three-under par 33 in her first nine holes but struggled down the stretch to finish the day at one-over par.
Giulia Sergas withdrew prior to the second round due to a pulled neck muscle.
Suzann Pettersen recovered from a first-round 73 to shoot a second-round 71 and go into the weekend tied for 36th.
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Jiyai Shin carded three birdies and three bogeys to fire a second-round even-par 72
Two-time winner on the LPGA Tour in 2011, Karrie Webb heads into the weekend at 1-under par after shooting rounds of 69-74.
The heat continued to be a big topic of conversation during the second round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship and with the temperature reaching 102 degrees in Rancho Mirage, caddies were again permitted to take off their jumpsuits during Friday’s play.
