Icher Rises into Lead at KEB-Hanabank Championship; Lincicome One Back


Frenchwoman Karine Icher carded a 4-under 68 to take the 36-hole lead in the KEB-Hanabank Championship. The $2 million LPGA Tour event began Thursday at Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.

The 35-year Icher, who's still looking for her first LPGA title, carded five birdies and a bogey to reach 5-under 139, a stroke ahead of American Brittany Lincicome and Spain's Beatriz Recari, who each recorded her second straight 70.

The wind didn't blow quite as hard as it did in the first round and the players found a very different course than on Thursday. "Today was a completely different course than yesterday," said Icher. "It was like completely different. It was funny to play because we were all laughing, my caddie, for example, like No. 1 yesterday, I hit a driver and two and today was driver and wedge.

"It was kind of funny, it was less wind today, so I'm surprised there's not much low score, because I thought the course was easier today. But it's always a pleasure to play here. The course is in really good shape. Probably one of the best greens we play all year."

Lincicome, who had a wild Friday with six birdies and four bogeys, is ready for any weather conditions heading into the weekend. "Hopefully the good breaks keep coming and the wind switches back to yesterday's wind," said the 29-year-old Floridian. "But I've played it both ways and I feel like I'm ready for either way.

"I felt like 15 under par was going to win the tournament, but it doesn't seem to be going that low, which is good. I like tournaments where not too many, maybe like five or 10 under par wins, so just keep doing 2 under each day, and I'm right there. I just need that one really good like 4 or 5 under a day."

Sharing fourth at 141 are South Koreans Mi Jung Hur (69), Jung-Min Lee (70) and Ilhee Lee (72), Spain's Azahara Munoz (69), Germany's Sandra Gal (71) and Norway's Suzann Pettersen (71).

First-round leader Haeji Kang followed up her opening 67 with a 75 to drop into a tie for 10th at 2-under 142 with fellow South Koreans Seul A Yoon (69) and Yoon Kyung Heo (70), and New Zealand's Lydia Ko (69).

No. 2-ranked Inbee Park dropped down the leaderboard into a share of 24th after a 73. Park, who remarkably has never won in her home country, has a chance to supplant Stacy Lewis - who isn't entered this week - as the world's top-rated female player with a high finish. But the recently-wedded 26-year-old from Seoul could only muster two birdies and three bogeys Friday.

China's Shanshan Feng, who won last week in Malaysia, opened with a 71 but ballooned to a 79 Friday to fall into a tie for 59th.

For all the scores, visit www.lpga.com.