Golf: Top-ranked Ko and Hataoka share LA Open second-round lead but holder Henderson misses cut
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South Korea's Ko Jin-young (left) and Japan's Nasa Hataoka at the DIO Implant LA Open on April 22, 2022.
PHOTOS: AFP
(REUTERS) - South Korea's Ko Jin-young had a string of four consecutive birdies, and Japan's Nasa Hataoka closed her round with three straight birdies on Friday (April 22) to leave the two tied for first place at the LA Open's halfway mark.
World No. 1 golfer Ko shot a seven-under 64 at Wilshire Country Club, leaving her at seven-under 135, level with Hataoka, who carded a three-under 68 on Friday.
Australia's Hannah Green is two strokes back at five under after a 67 in the second round.
South Korea's Kang Hae-ji (69) and Australia's Minjee Lee (68) share fourth place at 4 under.
Lizette Salas (70), China's Liu Yu (68), South Korea's Park In-bee (67) and Denmark's Emily Kristine Pedersen (72) are tied for sixth at three under.
First-round leader Alison Lee stumbled to a three-over 74 and is tied for 10th at two under.
Eighteen players did not complete the second round before play was suspended due to darkness.
Ko, who earned her 13th career LPGA win last month in the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore, recorded eight birdies and one bogey on Friday. Her big move came with four birdies from Nos. 11 to 14.
"My putting was so good today," Ko said. "I wasn't expecting to play really well today because in the afternoon it's always hard to play this course, but my putting was good, so I'm happy with it."
Hataoka, a five-time tour winner, started her round on the back nine and had three bogeys and one birdie through six holes. The rest of the way, she had six birdies and one bogey.
"I feel like I have really good momentum right now, so I want to keep that going and play good the next two days," she said.
Green enjoyed a bogey-free round, highlighted by a stretch of three birdies in five holes on the back nine.
"I'm very pleased," she said. "I guess today's round kind of felt like even more under par than what it was. I was pretty solid with my putting all day today, which was nice because yesterday I had a couple three-putts. But it was nice to get done in the morning and not have to worry about coming back early tomorrow to finish a round."
Defending champion Brooke Henderson of Canada will miss the cut after following up a five-over 76 with a 72.
