Andrea Lee carded a bogey-free 66 on Friday to reach 12 under and take a two-shot lead in the BMW Ladies Championship.
.@andrea_lee54's numbers after 36 holes at the BMW Ladies Championship 👀
Fairways: 26/28
GIR: 34/36
Birdies: 12
Bogeys: 0 pic.twitter.com/1oOgVtTuYE— LPGA (@LPGA) October 21, 2022
She holds the 36-hole lead for the first time in her career on Tour and her two-day total of 132 is a new 36-hole tournament scoring record as well as a new career-low for the 24-year-old American.
“Another bogey-free round which I’m really pleased with. Hit all the greens, all the fairways and just made some putts out there. Honestly a few of them didn’t drop within like ten, 15 feet but overall played really well and hopefully I can keep it going this weekend,” said Lee. “I really love the golf course here. The greens are really fast and firm, which I think plays to my advantage. My home course is pretty hilly, too, Palos Verdes Golf Club so I’m used to these hilly lies that you see out here at Oak Valley so I think that’s also going to play to my strength as well.”
And the leader finishes strong! 💪@andrea_lee54 birdies her final Friday hole to lead the BMW Ladies Championship pic.twitter.com/FddBw35g8W
— LPGA (@LPGA) October 21, 2022
American Lilia Vu (69),South Korean amateur Minsol Kim (73) and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul (74) are tied in second place at 10-under.
Vu has had a solid season with six top-10s and a best finish of solo third at the Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play. Her 36-hole total of 134 ties her third-lowest on the LPGA Tour which she last shot at the AmazingCre Portland Classic.
“It’s always really fun to play with Andrea, and A Lim was also in the group and she’s hilarious. We had a great time. I think we laughed basically the whole entire round,” said Vu. “I’m just trying to hit good shots, that’s it. Not think too far ahead, just what’s in front of me and play golf and have fun. Grateful that I’m here in Korea. I’m having a great time.”
First-round leader Thitikul set a new 18-hole tournament scoring record, but found the second round trickier. She made her first bogey of the tournament on the 12th and double-bogeyed the 13th before recovering with a birdie and eagle on the next two holes to finish at 1-under for the day.
“It’s been a roller coaster back nine. I think it’s not a big deal because you just know that you missed it. It’s normal for golf, and just keep trying more on the next hole, and not thinking about the past because you can’t do anything with the past. So you just try to keep doing better on the present,” said Thitikul. “Seems like today is not my day. This is my goal, as well: if it’s not your day, how you’re going to bounce back, how you’re going to keep it in contention as much as you can.”
New Zealander Lydia Ko (68) and South Korean rookie Yaeeun Hong (70)are tied for fifth at 8-under, four back of the lead with Ko carding back-to-back rounds of 68.
