LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Kim In-kyung hopes to take care of some unfinished business at the ANA Inspiration after firing one of the lowest rounds of her career on Friday.
The former tournament runner-up birdied the 18th hole to finish with a sizzling seven-under 65 and a three-shot lead in the second round of first major championship of the LPGA Tour season.
The South Korean’s round included eight birdies and one bogey to take her total to eight-under 136 on the Mission Hills Country Club course near Palm Springs, California.
‘‘I knew my game was getting better,’’ said Kim, who has seven LPGA titles. ‘‘I have been training a lot and improving every day.
‘‘The ball was playing shorter than yesterday so I had to adjust.
‘‘Out here you get what you see. You can’t really expect everything to go in. I was seeinga some lines today and put some good speed on it.’’
The 30-year-old Kim is hoping to redeem herself after missing a 35 centimetre (14 inch) putt on the 18th hole of the 2012 tournament that would have delivered her the championship.
Instead she went into a playoff with compatriot Yoo Sun-young where she lost on the first extra hole.
Katherine Kirk of Australia is alone in second after shooting a 68 to reach five-under 139.
Ko Jin-young and Ally McDonald are tied for third at four-under 140, four strokes back of Kim.
Tied for fifth is China’s Yan Jing, England’s Charley Hull, South Korean Park Sung-hyun and Americans Lexi Thompson and Danielle Kang who are all at three-under after two rounds.
Kim got off to a roaring start by making birdie on three of her first five holes. He only blemish of the round came on the par-four seventh where she made bogey.
