Thai teen Ariya clings to LPGA lead

WILLIAMSBURG, Virginia (AFP) –

Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand hits her second shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Kingsmill Championship at Kingsmill Resort on May 2, 2013 in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Thai teenager Ariya Jutanugarn fired an even-par 71 to keep a one-stroke lead after the second round of the $1.3 million LPGA Kingsmill Championship.

The 17-year-old, who is playing on a sponsor’s exemption, stood on seven-under 135 after 36 holes for a one-stroke lead over US veterans Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, German Sandra Gal and American Cristie Kerr were fourth on 137 with China’s Feng Shanshan, Japan’s Ai Miyazato, South Koreans Lee Il-Hee and Ryu So-Yeon and Americans Juli Inkster and Katie Burnett on 138.

Ariya, of Bangkok, captured her first professional title in March, when she won the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco on the Ladies European Tour by three strokes.

On Friday, she began her round off the 10th tee and opened with a bogey, then stumbled back with bogeys at the par-4 16th and par-3 17th. All came with missed putts from within five feet.

“I hit my irons very good, my driver is, like, perfect,” she said. “So I just wanted to try to fix my putting.”

She found her form with birdies at the par-5 third — where she rolled in a 45-footer — the par-3 fifth and par-5 seventh to jump back into the lead.

Stacy Lewis watches her tee shot on the eighth hole at the Kingsmill Championship on May 3, 2013 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Lewis, who played with Thai teenager Ariya Jutanugarn at a tournament in Thailand earlier this year, says the most outstanding feature of the young player’s game is her lack of fear.

“You know, when I first started on the front nine, I saw the leaderboard, so it’s OK, I just want to keep (playing) my game,” said Ariya, who has finished in the top five in all three LPGA events she has competed in this season.

“Right now for me everybody still has a chance to win, so I’ll just do my best my last two days.”

Stanford and Lewis both carded 68s for the second straight day — each with four birdies and one bogey in the second round.

“I played pretty much the same,” Lewis said. “I think I hit it a little better today, which you needed to do because it was so windy, but I gave myself a lot of birdie chances, which was nice.

“Definitely would have liked to have made a few more putts, but I think I’m in a really good spot going into the weekend.”

Lewis, who played with Ariya at a tournament in Thailand earlier this year, says the most outstanding feature of the young player’s game is her lack of fear.

“She plays like a 17-year-old, she plays without fear,” Lewis said. “She swings at it hard and she hits it and she goes and finds it… It’s fresh air, it’s nice to see that. It’s nice to see somebody get up there and just hit a putt and not worry about it.”

World number one Park In-Bee of South Korea fired a 72 to stand on 140, five off the pace in a share of 19th, while defending champion Shin Jiyai of South Korea also shot 72 to stand on 142 in a share of 27th.