Miyazato extends lead at ANZ Ladies Masters

Ai Miyazato from Japan extended her first round lead at the $Aus800,000 ANZ Ladies Masters after tacking on a four under par 68 to her opening record-equalling 63 to reach 13-under par, four shots clear of Australian Nikki Campbell at Royal Pines Resort.

The 19-year-old sensation from Okinawa lobbed in five birdies and one bogey as she continues her quest for her first title outside of her homeland and should she win this week, she would be eligible to join the Robe di Kappa Ladies European Tour and receive an exemption for the rest of this season and a further three years, meaning she would be exempt for both the Evian Masters and Weetabix Women's British Open.

Miyazato played in the tricky afternoon conditions and began with a birdie at the opening hole, but gave it back at the par five third. But after four consecutive pars, the pint-sized prodigy extended her lead with birdies at the eighth and ninth to turn in 35.

Further birdies came at the 15 th and 17 th to put her in control of the event at the halfway stage.

"The wind was a lot harder today and it was much harder to control the ball," said Miyazato after her round.

"I'm very happy with my four under par today, very satisfied."

Campbell, who plays most of her professional golf in Japan, reached the turn in 33 thanks to a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth hole. The 24-year old Canadian born player from Canberra came home in level par as the wind picked up.

"I've started to putt well on the Queensland greens," said Campbell, who finished 32 nd on the order of merit in Japan last season.

"I used to feel a bit daunted playing golf with some of the bigger names in women's golf, but I'm beginning to feel a bit more comfortable with it now. Anytime my name is on the leaderboard, it gives me confidence and I'm going to go out over the weekend and try and feel comfortable."

But with all the hype this week about the Japanese Wunderkind Miyazato, another teenager appeared on the radar as she equalled yesterday's course record with a 63 of her own in round two.

Tiffany Joh, an 18-year-old amateur from the San Diego in the USA continued the teenage invasion of women's golf her at Royal Pines as she carded the best round of her life which consisted of six birdies and an albatross at the par five ninth, her final hole.

Joh sits in a tie with Sweden's Maria Hjorth who came in late in the afternoon with a seven under par 65 to share third spot on eight under par. Hjorth birdied the three of the final four holes of her round to jump up two places

Joh, a High School student at Rancho Bernardo in San Diego reached eight under par for 36 holes and is a shot clear of six players including Swedes Linda Wessberg and Cecilia Ekelundh, Rachel Hetherington from Australia, Elisabeth Esterl from Germany and Veronica Zorzi from Italy who carded an eight under par 64 to jump right into contention for her maiden victory.

"I've never had an albatross before," said Joh.

"I actually thought it went into the bunker at the back of the green but people were clapping, so maybe it didn't go into the bunker. I guess it turned out OK. I had 213-yards to the pin and I hit a five wood - it was downwind.

"The green was elevated and the pin was back left, so I couldn't see it land at all. I had no idea until I went up and checked it and then I was in shock, so I just picked up and walked around the green like a zombie!"

Rounding out the top ten, four players share 10 th spot on six under par including Sweden's Asa Gottmo and Australian's Tamie Durdin, Shani Waugh and four times ANZ Ladies Masters Champion Karrie Webb.

ANZ Ladies Masters

Royal Pines Resort
24 th - 27 th February 2005

Scores at End of Round 2       
131  - Ai Miyazato (JPN) 63 68

135  - Nikki Campbell (AUS) 67 68

136  - Tiffany Joh (Am) (AUS) 73 63, Maria Hjorth (SWE) 71 65

137  - Linda Wessberg (SWE) 67 70, Rachel Hetherington (AUS) 69 68, Cecilia Ekelundh (SWE) 68 69, Elisabeth Esterl (GER) 68 69, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 73 64

138  - Tamie Durdin (AUS) 71 67, Shani Waugh (AUS) 69 69, Asa Gottmo (SWE) 68 70, Kirsty S Taylor (ENG) 67 71, Karrie Webb (AUS) 70 68

139  - Marta Prieto (ESP) 70 69, Maria Boden (SWE) 71 68, Sarah Douglass (AUS) 72 67, Kathryn Marshall (SCO) 72 67, Lora Fairclough (ENG) 68 71, Ya Ni Tseng (Am) (TAI) 70 69, Rebecca Stevenson (AUS) 70 69

140  - Jane Leary (AUS) 69 71, Karine Icher (FRA) 69 71, Nadina Taylor (AUS) 68 72, Iben Tinning (DEN) 69 71, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 69 71, Katherine Hull (AUS) 66 74, Diana Luna (ITA) 70 70

141  - Tina Fischer (GER) 72 69, Sarah-Jane Kenyon (AUS) 72 69, Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 70 71, Helen Beatty (AUS) 72 69

142  - Alison Munt (AUS) 69 73, Riikka Hakkarainen (FIN) 73 69, Carlie Butler (AUS) 68 74, Rachel Bailey (AUS) 70 72, Ursula Tuutti (FIN) 71 71, Tamara Johns (AUS) 72 70, Grace Lee (KOR) 70 72, Mardi Lunn (AUS) 72 70, Laura Davies (ENG) 69 73

143  - Denise Simon (GER) 72 71, Anja Monke (GER) 71 72, Martina Eberl (GER) 71 72, Mi Sun Cho (Am) (AUS) 69 74, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 72 71, Hea Kyung Son (KOR) 73 70, Nicole Lowien (AUS) 75 68, Nathalie David (FRA) 71 72, Yuka Shiroto (JAP) 76 67, Hsiao Chuan Lu (TAI) 71 72, Eun A Lim (KOR) 73 70

144  - Miriam Nagl (GER) 72 72, Fiona Pike (AUS) 70 74, Rebecca Coakley (IRE) 72 72, Kylie Pratt (AUS) 70 74, Stefania Croce (ITA) 70 74, Vicky Uwland (AUS) 72 72, Nicole Stillig-Gogele (GER) 69 75, Karen Lunn (AUS) 73 71, Marine Monnet-Melocco (FRA) 71 73, Ludivine Kreutz (FRA) 71 73, Karen Stupples (ENG) 71 73, Charlotta Sorenstam (SWE) 73 71, Anne-Marie Knight (AUS) 70 74, Hazel Kavanagh (IRE) 76 68, Amanda Moltke-Leth (DEN) 70 74

145  - Cherie Byrnes (AUS) 70 75, Melanie Holmes-Smith (AUS) 71 74, So-Hee Kim (KOR) 71 74, Gina Scott (NZ) 72 73, Eleanor Pilgrim (WAL) 71 74, Jenny Sevil (AUS) 69 76, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 70 75, Marlene Hedblom (SWE) 72 73, Sophie Sandolo (ITA) 71 74

Missed the cut:-

146  - Corinne Dibnah (AUS) 72 74, Hyun Hee Moon (KOR) 71 75, Leah Hart (AUS) 75 71, Joanna Whalley (AUS) 76 70, Nicole James (AUS) 71 75, Anna Rawson (AUS) 72 74, Laurette Maritz (SA) 71 75, Sara Beautell (ESP) 71 75, Susan Parry (USA) 72 74, Lynnette Brooky (NZ) 74 72

147  - Natascha Fink (AUT) 76 71, Elisa Serramia (ESP) 76 71, Joanne Mills (AUS) 71 76, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 75 72, Mianne Bagger (DEN) 72 75, Sophie Giquel (FRA) 71 76, Loraine Lambert (AUS) 75 72, Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 74 73, Barbara Paruscio (ITA) 73 74, Bettina Hauert (GER) 75 72, Natalie Parkinson (AUS) 73 74

148  - Louise Ferguson (AUS) 74 74, Rachel Duncan (AUS) 73 75, Dale Reid (SCO) 74 74, Johanna Waldh (SWE) 72 76, Nicola Moult (ENG) 72 76

149  - Lisa Jean (AUS) 76 73, Helena Alterby (SWE) 75 74, Jane Crafter (AUS) 75 74, Katy Jarochowicz (AUS) 76 73, Valerie Van Ryckeghem (BEL) 75 74, Virginie Lagoutte (FRA) 75 74

150  - Karen Pearce (AUS) 76 74, Sarah Heath (ENG) 79 71, Carmen Railton (AUS) 75 75, Kris Lindstrom (USA) 77 73, Carina Vagner (DEN) 75 75

151  - Emma Zackrisson (SWE) 73 78

152  - Won Mi Park (KOR) 74 78, Cecilie Lundgreen (NOR) 77 75

153  - Heidi McCulkin (AUS) 74 79, Elizabeth McKinnon (NZ) 77 76, Dana Lacey (AUS) 78 75, Tanya Paterson (AUS) 76 77, Geraldine Brown (AUS) 76 77, Michelle Bristow (AUS) 75 78, Joanne Bannerman (AUS) 77 76

154  - Tamara Hyett (AUS) 78 76, Anna Highgate (WAL) 74 80, Marousa Polias (AUS) 77 77, Wendy Hawkes (NZ) 76 78, Karina Oerum (DEN) 80 74, Katie Bakken (USA) 76 78, Ana Larraneta (ESP) 75 79, Zuzana Kamasova (SVK) 74 80

155  - Janelle Smith (AUS) 79 76, Pam Sowden (NZ) 74 81, Jane Evans (AUS) 78 77

156  - Karen Margrethe Juul (DEN) 76 80, Angela Harris (AUS) 78 78, Diane Pavich (AUS) 77 79

157  - Kerry Knowles (ENG) 79 78

158  - Amanda Vloedmans (AUS) 85 73

159  - Nuria Clau (ESP) 80 79

165  - Catherine Knight (NZ) 81 84, Therese Hjertstedt (SWE) 85 80, Katherine Leyshon (AUS) 79 86

RTD  - Adele Bannerman (AUS) 76 RTD

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