Pressel Up by Two in LPGA Championship


Morgan Pressel followed up her opening a 4-under 68 with a 70 to take a two-stroke lead after 36 holes of the LPGA Championship. The 25-year-old Floridian is at 6-under 138, two strokes ahead of South Koreans Inbee Park (68) and first-round leader Chella Choi (73).

After Thursday's opening round was washed out by heavy rains, the $2.25 million major got underway Friday. Officials are planning to have a 36-hole marathon on Sunday to determine the winner of the year's second LPGA major.

Pressel is a two-time winner - including her maiden victory in the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship, with her most recent title coming in October 2008 at the Kapalua LPGA Classic. On Saturday, she carded four birdies and a pair of bogeys, with the latter coming on the 16th and 18th holes.

Park, the No. 1-ranked player in women's golf, opened with an even-par 72 but posted five birdies and a bogey to rise up the leaderboard. The 24-year-old from Seoul has already won three times this year, including the Kraft Nabisco in April for her second major.

Sharing fourth at 3-under 141 are Australia's Sarah Jean Smith (69) and South Koreans Amy Yang (70) and Jiyai Shin (73). Tied for seventh at 142 are Americans Angela Stanford (71) and Brittany Lincicome (73), South Koreans Sun Young Yoo (69) and Na Yeon Choi (70), and Scotland's Catriona Matthew (71).

Caroline Masson of Germany (69) and Japan's Chie Arimura (72) are in 12th at 143, while among the nine players another shot back at even-par are Americans Michelle Wie (68), Danah Bordner (71), Lexi Thompson (73) and Jessica Korda (74).

Other scores include a 72 by No. 2-ranked Stacy Lewis, which took her to 2-over 146, an aggregate score matched by No. 5 Yani Tseng (74).

The 36-hole cut was set a 6-over 150.

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