RANCHO MIRAGE, California: Inbee Park took the second-round lead at the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Friday, making three birdies in a row early on the back nine.
Finishing in gusty conditions on another hot afternoon at Mission Hills, the South Korean shot a 5-under 67 to reach 7 under.
American Lizette Salas was a stroke back after a 68, and Sweden’s Carolina Hedwall (68) and Italy’s Giulia Sergas (69) followed at 5 under.
Park is seeking her second major title after winning the 2008 US Women’s Open Championship.
“Putted really good out there, especially on the back nine,” Park said. “The wind picked up, so it was tough out there on the back nine. Last four holes, I made all pars. I’m really happy with that.”
She won the LPGA Thailand in February for her fourth LPGA Tour victory when 17-year-old local Ariya Jutanugarn closed with a triple bogey to blow a two-stroke lead.
Salas got her first look at Mission Hills as a teenager when her father brought her to see Mexican star Lorena Ochoa.
“I remember watching Lorena, and I came out with a little banner for her that said ‘You can do it’ in Spanish, and I had great memories from outside the ropes,” Salas said. “Now, I’m trying to make some from inside the ropes.”
The 23-year-old daughter of Mexican immigrants, Salas was introduced to the game when her father, the head mechanic at Azusa Greens Golf Course west of Los Angeles, did some handyman jobs for the club pro and, instead of pay, asked him to teach his daughter to play.
“So, I started at 7,” Salas said. “I didn’t know how to dress and barely had a full set of golf clubs. ... It’s been a roller coaster from that point.”
Park hit a sand wedge from 70 yards to 2 feet for birdie on the par-5 11th to take the outright lead, then hit 9-iron approaches to 7 feet on the next two holes to set up birdies. The wind pushed her tee shot on the par-3 14th into the left bunker, leading to her lone bogey of the day, and she avoided further trouble on the final four holes.
“We were playing about a club and a half of a breeze there and it was getting tough,” Park said. “I’m just happy that I have a chance on the weekend that I can win.”
Michelle Wie followed her opening 72 with a 70 to reach 2 under. She had six birdies, but three-putted the 18th for the last of her four bogeys.
“I made a lot of great birdies,” Wie said. “The whole round was pretty interesting in general. I hit some interesting shots around the trees.”
Inbee Park leads Kraft Nabisco
