SEOUL, - Australian star Minjee Lee seized a 36-hole lead at the lone LPGA tournament in South Korea on Friday.
Lee, born in Perth to Korean parents, shot a three-under 69 to reach 11-under at the BMW Ladies Championship at Seowon Hills at Seowon Valley Country Club in Paju, northwest of Seoul in Gyeonggi Province.
Lee, who counts two majors among her nine LPGA titles, recorded four birdies against one bogey. She sits two strokes ahead of Alison Lee of the United States and Ashleigh Buhai of South Africa.
Two South Koreans, Lee Jeong-eun and Ryu Hae-ran, are another shot back in a tie for fourth place, along with defending champion Lydia Ko. Lee Jeong-eun matched two Americans, Angel Yin and Nelly Korda, for the low round of the day at 68.
Lee Jeong-eun and Ryu are the only South Korean players inside the top 10.
In windier and cooler conditions Friday, birdies were much harder to come by Friday compared with the previous day, when Buhai jumped to the top of the leaderboard with a 10-under 62.
Buhai followed that excellent round with 73 on Friday, after making four bogeys over her final six holes. Alison Lee opened with 63 but shot 72 in the second round, trading two birdies with two bogeys.
Only eight out of 77 players in the field broke 70 in the second round, while Anna Nordqvist of Sweden withdrew after one round.
The US$2.2 million tournament is the only LPGA stop in South Korea each fall. The winner will take home $330,000.
Source: Yonhap News Agency