Dori Carter shattered the course record with an 8-under-par 64 and took a two-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis and Cristie Kerr after two rounds of the Kia Classic at Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad.
The 26-year-old Carter, No. 244 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, carded 11 birdies and three bogeys in her round, breaking the men’s course record of 65 and the women’s mark of 66.
“I think I shot 65 in college (at Mississippi) a few times, and out with friends and stuff,” said Carter, who played in a Symetra Tour event last week in Florida because she did not qualify for the JTBC Founders Cup in Phoenix. “But 64 is the lowest tournament round. I’ve been in position to (go low but), this is the first time the putts have all fallen.
“Any course record is great, but the course, this place is great. This is a good venue for us and for our tour and the whole setup is nice. And the golf course definitely is a tournament golf course that we’re playing. You know, you gotta hit some really good shots, so I’m just glad that I was able to do that today.”
Lewis, who won three times last year and has eight victories in her LPGA Tour career including two major titles, carded a 66 that included seven birdies and a single bogey on the 16th hole.
Kerr, a 16-time winner on the circuit with two major titles, eagled the first hole while recording he second straight 68.
Lizette Salas of Azusa and USC shot 68 and was three shots back in fourth, while first-round co-leader Mariajo Uribe of Colombia and UCLA had a 71 and was another stroke back in a tie for fifth with Tiffany Joh of San Diego and UCLA, who came in with a second 69.
Paula Creamer, who was tied with Uribe for the first-round lead, wound up at 72 and was five strokes back in a tie for seventh with Chella Choi of South Korea, who had a 65, Lexi Thompson, who totaled 70, and Shanshan Feng of China, who carded a 71.
Top-ranked Inbee Park of South Korea was in a tie for 11th after a 71.
