Stacy Lewis posted a second straight 3-under-par 69 to take a one-stroke lead over Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Karine Icher of France halfway through the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in the rain at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, just outside San Francisco,
Lewis, No. 3 in the Rolex Women’s Golf Rankings, made bogeys on two of her first four holes, but played the rest of the way in a flawless 4-under and took the lead with birdies on the 16th and 17th holes.
“I think we all knew going into today that the conditions were going to be pretty difficult and it was going to be a test of patience,” said Lewis, who has eight victories on the LPGA Tour, the last coming in the Women’s British Open on the Old Course at St. Andrews last July.
“It was a real long day and I just took it one shot at a time, and tried to get the ball in the hole as quickly as I could. That’s what I was able to do and I was able to make some putts. I think anything under par was a pretty good score.”
Ko, who turned 17 on Thursday, backed up her opening 68 with a 71 that included three birdies in the first seven holes and another at No. 17.
Icher, the first-round leader with a bogey-free 66, was 2-over for the day before recording her only birdie of the day on the 15th hole in a round of 73.
Top-ranked Inbee Park of South Korea moved into contention with a 68 that included three consecutive birdies through No. 15, and was three shots back in a tie for fourth with Mika Miyazato of Japan, who shot 69, and Ilhee Lee of South Korea, who had a 73.
Suzann Pettersen of Norway, the second-ranked player in the world who is playing for the first time in a month after overcoming a back injury, carded a 72 and was four shots behind in a tie for seventh with six players.
