Green seizes LPGA Portland lead with 63 as Kim chases with 61

Los Angeles: Hannah Green fired an eagle and seven birdies in a nine-under par 63 on Friday, seizing the second-round lead as low scores abounded at the LPGA Portland Classic. Green’s round, following on the heels of a first-round 64, was the lowest of her career and gave her a 17-under total of 127. But it was just one of the sizzling efforts at Edgewater Country Club, where Kim Sei-young posted a tournament record 10-under 61 for a share of second on 132. She was tied with fellow South Korean Park Sung-hyun, who carded a 65. “I don’t really feel like I’ve shot nine-under, I feel like I’ve maybe shot five or six — which is nice,” said Green, who made her first LPGA win a major title at the Women’s PGA Championship in June. It “means I’m probably not too nervous.” Green made a strong start with birdies at the first and third — and said she could easily have been three-under through the first three holes. “I actually missed a short putt on two for birdie,” she said. “But I just gave myself really good opportunities all day. “I think when I had the eagle on five, that’s when I was like ‘OK I think I can go low again today,’” said Green, who added birdies at six and seven, 10 and 11 and 17. She hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and needed just 27 putts — including her eagle bomb. “I had like a 30-foot putt so I wasn’t thinking about holing it too much, just wanted to make sure if I did miss it I gave myself a tap-in. “I had the flagstick in and it just knocked in.” Kim surged up the leaderboard with 11 birdies and no bogeys — a 10-stroke improvement on her opening 71. “I wanted to shoot low because yesterday I wasn’t playing good,” she said. “So I wanted to bounce back today. I tried to keep going, focus whatever happened. “I’m very happy 11-under. It’s my lowest score ever in my golf life. So I’m very honored.” World number two Park, meanwhile had two eagles in her seven-under effort. It was a further stroke back to South Korean Chun Youngin, South African Lee-Anne Pace and Americans Angel Yin and Yealimi Noh sharing fourth on 133. A group of seven players on 134 included American Sarah Schmelzel who produced a sparkling 62. Green said her aim heading into the weekend was not to “get too ahead of myself”. “Obviously this is quite new to me, shooting such low scores back-to-back,” she said. “(I’m) going to keep the same game plan (keep) doing everything much like I have’’. — AFP