Minjee Lee leads LPGA Tour event

Minjee Lee on Friday shot her second straight three-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over four players in the LPGA Tour’s Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

The second-ranked South Korean star hit a 7-iron to 3 feet to set up a birdie on the par-3 16th, and made a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th. “It’s a definitely a plus, because the last couple of days I’ve been making a lot mistakes”. “It’s not so much about the weather as it is about the altitude”. In fact, she totaled 33 putts on the day, which was the highest among any of the players in the top-30.

In the final two tournaments, Park hopes to regain the No. 1 ranking from Lydia Ko of New Zealand.

Defending champion Christina Kim and Sei Young Kim both finished off rounds of 66 to close within touching distance of the leader.

Lee, who won her first US LPGA title in May at Kingsmill, said she is trying not to get too far ahead of herself.

“We are best friends off the golf course and on the golf course as well, but competition is competition you know, no matter who it is I just want to try my best”. “If I keep it in the fairway, I should play well”.

Kim rose up the leaderboard on the back of a 66 on Friday, but three bogeys in five holes on the front nine – after opening with an eagle at the second – saw her progress slowed. Kim forced the playoff with an 18-foot chip-in for par.

“She’s a tough player and she really gets other players going”, Park said about Kim.

So Yeon Ryu sits behind her best friend, Inbee Park, in a tie for third with Carlota Ciganda. They each shot 69.

Australian halfway leader Minjee Lee plummeted seven shots off the pace after a 75. But, due to the “unanticipated road closures and the alternate route in which that particular vehicle took”, a ride that should have taken 15-20 minutes instead took two-plus hours.

“It was just insane”.