Moodie takes over lead with 66

Janice Moodie shot a 6-under 66 Friday, the best round of the tournament, and took a two-stroke lead over Laura Davies halfway through the Asahi Ryokuken International.

Moodie, a fifth-year pro from Scotland who started the round three shots behind Davies, was at 8-under 136 after experiencing few of the problems that many others dealt with at Mount Vintage Plantation.

Moodie opened with birdies on the second and third holes, and nearly holed her tee shot on the tricky par-3 7th. Moodie caught Davies with a birdie on No. 10 and took the lead at 7-under after reaching the par-5 16th in two.

``I really just didn't make any mistakes,'' Moodie said.

Even when she did, things bounced her way.

On 18, Moodie's drive started too far left and looked headed for bunkers that guard the dogleg.

``Oh, Janice,'' she said after she hit. ``Go right, go right.''

The ball listened, rolling down the slope to a fluffy lie where Moodie was able to hit within 12 feet for a closing birdie.

Moodie said she's been hitting the ball well this season, although her best finish was a tie for 12th at the Welch's/Circle K Championships. At Mount Vintage, she says she's been making the putts that have not fallen this year.

``It's one of those golf courses where you're challenged mentally the whole way around,'' said Moodie, whose only victory came at the Shoprite LPGA Classic two years ago. ``You really have to be in the right place in the fairways to give yourself the opportunities.''

Davies, who led after an opening-round 67, didn't quite have the same chances this time.

She reached 7-under with birdies on 6, 8 and 9, but three-putted from 20 feet for a bogey on 15 to finish with a 71.

``I hit as many good drives as I did yesterday. But I was never really in the right position on the greens,'' Davies said. ``That was the difference.''

Dawn Coe-Jones, who had her second straight 70 and was four shots off the lead, said the course was softer than the first round.

``It took us a few holes to click in that the ball was holding instead of how the golf course played yesterday,'' Coe-Jones said.

Grace Park (72), Betsy King (68) and Laurie Brower (68) were at 3-under 141.

Annika Sorenstam, trying for her second straight LPGA tournament title and fourth in eight starts this season, ended strongly with an eagle on her closing hole, the par-5 9th, to shoot a 70. She is among six players six shots behind Moodie at 2-under.

Michelle Wie, a 12-year-old from Hawaii, shot a 75 and missed the cut of her second LPGA tournament. Wie, playing in a U.S. Women's Open qualifier in Duluth, Ga., next week, was here on a sponsor's exemption.

``The course was really nice, but I putted so bad,'' said Wie, who in March became the youngest to play her way into an LPGA event at the TakefujiClassic.

Divots

Natalie Gulbis, the 19-year-old rookie, went from leading the Aerus Electrolux USA Championship after 54 holes last week, to missing the cut here after going 78-72. ... Japanese amateur Shinobu Morimazato, a 15-year-old playing on a sponsor's exemption, missed the cut after her second straight 77. ... Want to know how fast Mount Vintage's greens are? On the par-3 7th, Marcy Newton had an 8-foot putt for birdie that became a 20-footer for par. ``OK, nowyou can stop,'' Newton begged. She made a double-bogey.

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page