JEJU DO, South Korea -- Kate Golden fired an 8-under 64 on Saturday to join local favorite Grace Park atop the leaderboard after two rounds of the CJ Nine Bridges Classic. Park posted a 3-under 69 to join Golden at 9-under-par 135.
Their total of 135 established a new 36-hole scoring record. The previous mark of 136 was set by Korean Shi Hyun Ahn last year.
Ahn, the defending champion, posted a 3-under 69. She is tied for third place with Jill McGill (70) and Soo-Yun Kang (66) at 7-under-par 137.
Women’s world No. 1 Annika Sorenstam is one stroke further back at minus-6. She was joined there by Carin Koch, who shared the first-round lead, and a pair of Koreans - Jeong Jang and Se Ri Pak.
Golden opened with a birdie on the par-5 third at Nine Bridges Golf Club. She came back with a birdie at the fifth after her second shot stopped within 1-foot of the cup.
The 37-year-old drained an 8-foot birdie putt at the seventh. Golden sank another 8-footer for birdie at the next to move to minus-5.
Golden kept rolling around the turn when she ran home a 20-foot birdie putt at the 12th. She dropped an 8-iron within 8 feet to set up birdie at the 13th.
Golden, whose lone win came at the 2001 State Farm Classic, knocked her second shot to the par-5 closing hole to 20 feet. She converted the eagle try to jump to 9 under and the lead.
‘It was just a really good day,’ said Golden. ‘I drove the ball well and think I hit every fairway. I think I maybe missed one green, but then I chipped in for par on 10. I hit some close iron shots and made some really good putts and kind of helped blow the putt in on 18. It was a good day.’
Park, who shared the first-round lead with Koch, opened with six straight pars. At the par-3 seventh, Park stuck her pitching wedge 6 feet from the hole.
She drained that birdie putt and came back with a bogey at eight after a poor second shot. Park quickly erased that error as she dropped in a six-foot birdie putt at No. 9.
Park, who hails from Seoul, South Korea, nearly aced the par-3 13th. Her tee shot came to rest 1-foot from the hole. She kicked that in for birdie to move to minus-8. At the 18th, Park got up and down for birdie to join Golden in the lead.
‘Today was a little bit of everything that did not work out,’ Park said. ‘My shots were not great and neither was my putting. If we call yesterday a lucky day, today was not a lucky day.’
Patricia Meunier-Lebouc, Mi Hyun Kim, Lorena Ochoa, Stacy Prammanasudh and Women’s British Open champion Karen Stupples share 10th place at 5-under- par 139. Dorothy Delasin, Hyun Ju Shin and amateur Jane Park were one stroke further back at minus-4.
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