ANA Inspiration: In-Kyung Kim three clear as Charley Hull moves into range
Saturday 6 April 2019 03:40, UK
In-Kyung Kim gained control of the first women's major of the year after a superb 65 gave her a big lead at the halfway stage of the ANA Inspiration.
Kim has not been in contention at Rancho Mirage since earning notoriety for her final-hole mishap in 2012, when she missed a one-foot putt for the win and went on to lose to compatriot Sun Young Yoo in a play-off.
But the 2017 Women's British Open champion is well placed to atone for that disappointment after racing three clear of the field with an eight-birdie performance on day two, while England's Charley Hull vaulted into the top five with a solid 69.
Kim ignited her charge with a run of six birdies in nine holes mid round and, after dropping her only shot of the day at the fifth - her 14th - she hit back with a birdie at the last to close on eight under, three ahead of Australia's Katherine Kirk heading into the weekend.
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Kirk looked a likely leader for the final 36 holes when she followed a birdie, birdie start with four in five holes around the turn, but she faltered down the stretch and bogeyed 17 and 18 to take the gloss off a 68 as she slipped to five under.
Overnight leader Ally McDonald battled to a 72 as she remained on four under along with Jin Young Ko, one of five South Koreans in the top 10, while Hull recovered from a bogey at the first to get within five of the leader.
Hull's initial response was immediate when she birdied the second and third before she added another at the seventh in an outward 34, and she coped well with the breezy conditions in a run of 10 straight pars which she broke with a confident birdie at 18 which lifted her to three under par.
Lexi Thompson cruised to five under for the tournament before two late bogeys at eight and nine dropped her back alongside Hull in a share of fifth, while Hull's fellow Englishwoman Jodi Ewart Shadoff fired a creditable 70 to get to one under as only 18 players completed 36 holes under the card.
Reigning Open champion Georgia Hall rediscovered some of the consistency that was missing on day one as she mixed four birdies with two bogeys in a 70 which hauled her back to level par, a score matched by her Solheim Cup team-mates Anna Nordqvist and Carlota Ciganda.
Former world No 1 Lydia Ko, the 2016 champion, fell to one over after a 75 which included an ugly quadruple-bogey eight at the fourth, while defending champion Pernilla Lindberg and fan-favourite Michelle Wie crashed out on seven over par.
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