Choi Surges in Titleholders


Na Yeon Choi carded a 3-under 69 to take a one-shot lead in the LPGA Tour's season-ending CME Group Titleholders. The $1.5 million, 72-hole tournament started Thursday at TwinEagles Club in Naples, Fla.

The 2012 U.S. Women's Open champion posted four birdies and bogey Saturday to go a shot up on 36-hole leader, Ai Miyazato, and reach 12-under 204.

Miyazato got off to a rugged start with a double-bogey on the par-5 second and then, three holes later, got a bogey on another par-5 to make the turn in 3-over 39. But the 27-year-old from Japan got untracked on the inward half, carding four birdies to get under par on the day.

Two strokes behind Choi is her South Korean friend, So Yeon Ryu, who shot a 68, while another stroke back are France's Karine Icher (70) and American Brittany Lincicome, who also had a 70. China's Shanshan Feng (69) and Sweden's Anna Nordqvist (69) share sixth, four shots behind Choi.

Four players - Brittany Lang (69), Beatriz Ricari (68), first-round leader Suzann Pettersen (72) and Karrie Webb (71) are tied for eighth at 209.

Cristie Kerr, who won last week's Lorena Ochoa Invitational, is tied for 17th at 212 after a 71. No. 2-ranked and 2012 LPGA Player of the Year Stacy Lewis carded her second straight 72 and now stands at 2-under 214. Inbee Park, who Lewis was hoping to unseat with a win this week - worth $500,000 -as the leading money earner this year, also shot 72 to go to 212.

Other scores included a 69 by No. 1-ranked Yani Tseng, who's now T-33 at 217, and a 71 by Michelle Wie that moved her out of last place after opening with rounds of 81 and 77.

For complete scoring, visit http://www.lpgascoring.com/public/Leaderboard.aspx.