Golf: Kim leads, Ko misses cut at WPGA Championship
Kim's eight-under total of 138 gave her a one-stroke lead over Australian Hall of Famer Karrie Webb.
HARRISON, United States (AFP) - South Korean Kim Sei-Young eagled the par-five 15th hole Friday en route to a five-under-par 68 and the halfway lead in the Women s PGA Championship, as world number one Lydia Ko missed the cut.
Kim s eight-under total of 138 gave her a one-stroke lead over Australian Hall of Famer Karrie Webb and two-time defending champion Park In-Bee, also of South Korea.
Webb birdied the 18th hole to cap a 71 and was joined on 139 by Park, who had five birdies in her five-under 68.
Not only is Park trying to win a third straight title in the second women s major of the year -- formerly known as the LPGA Championship -- she s closing in on the world number one ranking of New Zealand teen Ko.
Ko struggled to a three-over 76 for a two-over total of 148 and missed the cut for the first time in her pro career -- ending her streak of 53 straight LPGA cuts made.
Ko, 18, played her second nine in four-over 40. She teed off on 10 and was one-under for the day after two birdies and a bogey in her first nine holes.
But a double-bogey six at the second hole was followed by bogeys at the third, fourth and sixth, and even a birdie at her penultimate hole left her one shot outside the cut line.
"It was already kind of too late," said Ko, whose remarkable resume will remain without a major title for a little longer at least. "I made a double and just couldn t get anything turned around."
Kim, meanwhile, is eying a first major to add to two titles won this year, in the Bahamas and at the Lotte Championship.
"It s very great, today I played very well, bogey-free," said Kim, who started the day four shots behind overnight leader Jenny Shin and opened with a birdie.
She added another birdie at the par-five fifth, and moved within a shot of Webb atop the leaderboard with a birdie at 11.
Kim, who held a three-shot lead after 54 holes before fading to tie for fourth at the year s first major, the ANA Inspiration, took the outright lead with her eagle at 15, finishing off the round with three pars.
More aggressive Park
Park also played without a bogey, nabbing three birdies in her first six holes before back to back birdies at six and seven before she ended her round with pars at eight and nine.
"Yesterday I played kind of conservative," Park said. "It s a major championship and there s not going to be many birdies.
"I ended up making a few mistakes yesterday, and looking at the scoring yesterday and this morning, the scoring was still good. So I thought I should play a little more aggressive and play for more birdies and seemed like it worked."
Webb started off with seven straight pars and then drained a birdie on eight. Another birdie on 12 pushed the veteran to seven-under, and after she followed a bogey at 16 with a birdie on 18 she was in the lead as she walked off the course.
Webb and Park were one stroke in front of Canadian 17-year-old Brooke Henderson, who posted a 73, and Norway s Suzann Pettersen, who carded a 66.
Overnight leader Shin carded a 75 and was joined on 141 by world number three Stacy Lewis, who signed for a 71.
