Creamer and Jane Park lead HSBC Champions
Singapore (Sports Network) - Paula Creamer and Jane Park both shot rounds of
one-under 71 on Friday, but it was enough to remain tied for the lead after
the second round of the HSBC Champions Tournament.
The pair, who shared the first-round lead with Angela Park, finished 36 holes
at six-under 138 and is one clear at Tanah Merah Country Club.
Mi Hyun Kim (68) and Katherine Hull (69) are tied for third place at five-
under 139. Sun Young Yoo (69) and Ai Miyazato (72) share fifth at four-under
140.
Defending champion and last week's winner in Thailand, Lorena Ochoa struggled
to a one-over 73 and fell into a tie for 11th place at minus-two.
Creamer was the first player to get to six-under par on Friday. She birdied
the third hole from four feet, then closed her front nine with a five-foot
birdie putt at the par-five ninth.
Things fell apart for a bit for Creamer after she made the turn. She bogeyed
the 11th, thanks to a three-putt, and 14th holes and that last bogey dropped
Creamer into a large tie for first.
Creamer, along with Jane Park, broke away from the logjam with a birdie at the
16th when her wedge approach stopped nine feet from the stick. Creamer sent
her approach long at 18, briefly flirting with water, but chipped to six feet.
She holed her par save to preserve her piece of the midway lead.
Creamer is looking for some redemption. She held the 54-hole lead last week in
Thailand, but Ochoa flew by her. Creamer has battled illness throughout this
week, but has eight LPGA Tour victories and could be in position to get her
first of the year come Sunday.
"I feel very confident with where I'm at. I feel like I've gained actually
something today," said Creamer. "I'll take the lead over any place for the
day."
Jane Park's round was far tamer than her fellow co-leader's.
Park collected her first birdie of the round at the par-five fifth, a hole she
has birdied in each of the first two rounds. She parred her next six around
the turn, but never fell lower than one shot out of the lead.
After Creamer bogeyed 11, Park was tied for first. That didn't last long. Park
bogeyed No. 12, a hole she birdied on Thursday, and fell one behind Creamer's
lead.
Creamer's bogey at 14 brought Park back into a share of first. When her
playing partner Creamer birdied the 16th, Park's birdie was never in doubt.
Park's approach stopped inches from the hole and she tapped in to join Creamer
atop the leaderboard.
"I just want to take it one shot at a time, and that's exactly what I did,"
said Park, the 2004 U.S. Women's Amateur Champion. "I had a great time out
there. Angela and Paula are two of my dearest friends out here. So it was very
competitive, and we had an awesome time."
Angela Stanford (72), Lindsey Wright (69), Shanshan Feng (71) and Se Ri Pak
(72) are knotted in seventh place at three-under 141.
Angela Park tallied five bogeys from the sixth hole and limped in with a five-
over 76. She plummeted into a tie for 20th at minus-one.
There is no cut at this event.
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