Reuters: Sports News: Tseng takes early control at Mission Hills

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Tseng takes early control at Mission Hills Mar 30th 2012, 21:50 Yani Tseng of Taiwan hits from the 10th fairway during the second round of the LPGA Kraft Nabisco Championship golf tournament in Rancho Mirage, California March 30, 2012. Credit: Reuters/Danny Moloshok Fri Mar 30, 2012 5:50pm EDT (Reuters) - World number one Yani Tseng, the LPGA Tour's dominant figure, birdied her final hole to grab an early two-shot lead in the second round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in Rancho Mirage, California on Friday. A winner in six of her last 12 LPGA events, the long-hitting Taiwanese fired a four-under-par 68 on another day of glorious sunshine at Mission Hills Country Club in the first women's major of the year. Champion here in 2010 and fresh from consecutive victories on the U.S. circuit, Tseng mixed five birdies with one bogey to post an eight-under total of 136 on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course. South Korea's Yoo Sun-young was alone in second, after carding a 69, with compatriots Choi Na-yeon (67) and five-times major winner Pak Se-ri (69) a further stroke back at five under. Overnight leader Amy Yang, also of South Korea, followed her opening 66 with a 74 to slip back into an early tie for fifth at four under. The ominous sight of Tseng at the top of the leaderboard will have sent shock waves across the field at Mission Hills as the game's top player hunts a sixth major victory. "To catch Yani is difficult," five-times LPGA champion Choi told reporters after compiling five birdies in a flawless display. "When she's playing well, she looks like a very intimidating player. She played so well today and last week and two weeks ago. She's an amazing player right now." HAPPIER TSENG Tseng had been disappointed with her opening 68 but she was much happier with the same score on Friday having negotiated slick greens that had quickened under a baking sun. "Yesterday I had a couple of shots I just missed, and a couple of shots where I wasn't committed and I just hit it," the 23-year-old said. "But today, on every shot, I gave my 100 percent focus. The goal was the same, but I feel so much happier today. "I still have two more days to go, and this golf course suits me really well. I heard tomorrow's going to be very windy in the afternoon, so I just need to be patient." Tseng finished her second round in style with a one-putt birdie at the par-five ninth. "It just made my day," she said. "It made me feel that I can relax and do something more fun. I was feeling just so happy." It was not a happy day though, for some of the other big names on the LPGA Tour. Norway's Suzann Pettersen, who finished a stroke behind the triumphant Tseng at the 2010 Kraft Nabisco Championship, carded a 74 to lie 10 strokes off the pace. American Michelle Wie was a further four shots adrift after battling to a 77. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Julian Linden) Link this Share this Digg this Email Reprints

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