You would never know Sung Hyun Park of South Korea is playing in her first Women’s U.S. Open.
The 23-year-old Park carded a six-under-par 66 to take a two-stroke lead over two other South Koreans, Amy Yang and Mirim Lee, after two rounds at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, near San Jose, in the 71st edition of the tournament.
“This is the first time in a USGA tournament, and coming to the tournament I didn’t even think about winning because this is the first time for me,” said Park, who has won five times on the Korean LPGA Tour.
“I would like more experience with the USGA, LPGA. But I’m trying to enjoy this tournament. That’s why I am just more comfortable. Don’t even think about the winning, I just enjoy the play. That’s why it happened today.
“Yesterday afternoon, just the wind blows so hard, and this morning it was very calm and easier to play.”
Park collected seven birdies in her first 16 holes before making her only bogey at No. 17, and then drove into a lateral hazard on the final hole and took a penalty strokes, but saved par with a 14-foot putt that gave her a 36-hole total of 8-under 136.
Lee, the first-round leader with a 64, stumbled to a 74 that included a double-bogey 6 on the 10th hole, while Yang birdied the first three holes and two of the last four in a 71.
Top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand bounced back from an opening 73 with a 66 that lifted her to within three strokes in a tie for fourth with Haru Nomura of Japan, who shot 69.
Ko made her only bogey on the first hole and added seven birdies the rest of the way, including five birdies in a span of six holes through No. 8.
“I got some putts rolling,” said Ko, who claimed her second major title earlier this year in the ANA Invitational at Mission Hills. “I didn’t start off very well, missing the fairway on 1. I was struggling down that first hole, but my birdie on 3 kind of turned my round around.
“Making that string of birdies definitely helped. Just to know that this was the first time I was under par for the tournament kind of put myself in a pleasant position. I just tried to enjoy it out there.”
Danielle Kang of Westlake Village and Pepperdine posted a 69 and was four shots behind in a tie for sixth with Jessica Korda, who had a 70, Eun-Hee Ji of South Korea, who totaled 71 and Kelly Tan of Malaysia, who came in at 72.
Mo Martin of Pasadena and UCLA shot 70 and was another stroke down in a tie for 10th with Sydnee Michaels (72) of Temecula and UCLA, Maude-Aimee Leblanc (69) of Canada, Angela Stanford (70) and Jodi Ewart Shadoff (71) of England.
Second-ranked Brooke Henderson of Canada, who won the Women’s PGA Championship last month, shot 76-71–147 and No. 4 Lexi Thompson finished at 74-73–147, both making the cut by two strokes.
