World No.1 Tseng followed her opening-round 66 with a
two-under-par 70 for an eight-under total of 136 on a day of off-and-on rain at
Locust Hill Country Club outside Rochester.
"I feel a little disappointed about my round,"
Tseng told reporters. "I missed two short putts today. I probably tried
too hard and thought too much today. Just overthinking." In second place
was American Pat Hurst, 42, who surged up the leaderboard with a five-under-par
67 for 137 in her quest to add another major crown to her 1998 triumph at the
Nabisco.
Another shot back were American Morgan Pressel, Minea
Blomqvist of Finland and South Korean Park Hee-young, who each posted a second
successive 69s for six-under totals of 138.
Americans Paula Creamer (72) and Cindy LaCrosse (69), and
Amy Yang of South Korea were tied on five under par.
Tseng, who started her round on the 10th in the afternoon
wave, lost her lead temporarily to morning starter Hurst before running off a
string of three birdies from her fourth hole on to reach nine under par.
However, the 22-year-old Taiwanese lost her way from the tee
on the next few holes and gave back two strokes with a double-bogey six at 18,
where she missed a putt of 18 inches.
She rebounded by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt right after
making the turn.
After taking another bogey, her other botched putt came at
the par-five eighth hole where she missed a three-footer for eagle but still
made a birdie to move into the lead.
"I'm still very excited," said Tseng, who is
gunning to become the youngest golfer to collect four major crowns.
Hurst, whose last of six career LPGA wins came two years ago
in Mexico, said she had regained her enthusiasm for golf.
"I'm playing good. I'm hitting the ball well. And if I
could get some putts falling and getting some confidence back, I'll feel good
about my game," said Hurst.
Pressel was upbeat about her chances despite making three
bogeys following a bogey-free tour of Locust Hill on Thursday.
"I
felt good out there," Pressel said. "Today I had more birdies, six
birdies. I can take that momentum going into tomorrow."
