Jenny Shin of South Korea carded a bogey-free 7-under par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over top-ranked Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Brittany Lang midway through the Kia Classic at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, Calif.
Shin, who grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from Torrance High, birdied five of the first eight holes and added two more birdies on the back nine.
“I think it was a really good round,: said Shin whose best finish on the LPGA Tour was a tie for second in the 2012 HSBC Women’s Champions in China. “I hit great shots. I hit great putts. I had a lot of six-footers for birdie, so it was a good day.
“The goal this week was like, I have to make the cut. I have to show up on the weekend. This is the only tournament every year where I struggle to get in contention, and I think part of it was, it’s close to home, a lot of people watching. I want to do well.
“Last year, my coach came out and watched me for two days. So it was just a lot of pressure. This year, I didn’t invite anybody, just my mom.”
The 18-year-old Ko, who won the ISPS Handa New Zealand Open earlier this year for her 15th professional victory, birdied the four of the first eight holes on the front nine in a bogey-free 67 and Lang also played flawlessly in a 68.
Said Ko: “I didn’t strike the ball as well as I did yesterday, especially on my back nine, I had to make up-and-down from a few places. The rough is rough, so when you get in there, it’s tough to get close to the pin or even on the green sometimes.
“Sometimes I got fortunate, but other times I was able to scramble and I think that’s the most important thing around here.”
Second-ranked Inbee Park of South Korea, a first-round co-leader at 67, posted a bogey-free 69 and was two strokes back in a tie for fourth with Hoo Joo Kim, also of South Korea, who was bogey-free in a 66.
Sung Hyun Park of South Korea recorded a 66 and was three back in a tie for sixth with Jessica Korda, who had a 67.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England, who also was tied for the lead at 67 after round one, was another shot back in solo eighth after a 71, while Rachel Rohanna made a hole in one on the third hole on her way to a 66 and was five strokes down in a tie for ninth with Haru Nomura of Japan, who totaled 69, M.J. Hur of South Korea, who finished at 71, Ai Miyazato, another of the first-round co-leaders, who came in at 72, and Na Yeon Choi of South Korea, who wound up at 69.
