Anna Nordqvist leads Honda LPGA Thailand by one after second round

CHONBURI, Thailand – Anna Nordqvist made two late bogeys at the rainy Honda LPGA Thailand, leaving her a stroke ahead Friday after the second round. 

 

The Swede shot an even-par 72 to remain 6 under. Germany's Sandra Gal, Paraguay's Julieta Granada and Spain's Azahara Munoz were tied for second. 

 

The players got a break from the usual hot, humid conditions, with the temperature only reaching the 70s the first two days at Siam Country Club. 

 

"I think we all expected it to be warmer," said Nordqvist, also a stroke ahead Thursday after opening with a 66. "Today with a little bit of rain and overcast it felt like I still had a lot of the energy leaving the 18th green." 

 

Nordqvist bogeyed Nos. 16 and 18. She had three birdies and three bogeys. 

 

"There were some tough pins out there," Nordqvist said. "A lot of them were on ridges, and I felt like I hit a lot of good shots and kept spinning off the ridges. Not much you can do. Felt like I hit it solid. A little disappointed to finish with a bogey on the last. 

 

GOLF BUZZ: Padraig Harrington reveals treatment for skin cancer on his face

 

"Overall, been hitting it great. Today, I felt like all things were good. Just couldn't get any putts to drop." 

 

The 26-year-old Nordqvist is winless since the 2009 LPGA Championship. 

 

"This is a position I been practicing to be in," Nordqvist said. "Halfway through and there are 36 more holes, but I'm happy with the way I'm playing. Hopefully, can make a couple more putts over the weekend and that should take care of it." 

 

Munoz and Granada shot 68, and Gal had a 70. Granada had a bogey-free round. 

 

"I holed out twice with lob shots, so that was nice," Granada said. "It was very welcome." 

 

Gal had three birdies and a bogey. 

 

CAPTAIN'S BLOG: Tom Watson on how he is scouting the Accenture Match Play

 

"I didn't change my game plan, but it was just playing longer," Gal said. "Some of the pins were quite tough today, tucked in corners where you usually you just would go for the middle of the green. And then on top of that, you would have maybe one or two putts more because you just don't get any roll." 

 

Americans Stacy Lewis and Michelle Wie were 4 under. The third-ranked Lewis had seven birdies and four bogeys in a 69. Wie shot 73. 

 

Light showers in the morning left the greens and fairways softer than usual. 

 

"Just had the rain to start and just changed the way the golf course played," Lewis said. "Kind of took me a couple holes to adjust to that. Once I did, I hit some good shots. You just had to be a lot more aggressive, fly back to holes we normally can't do that. Just played completely different than it ever has. ... 

 

"There were a lot of back pins today, so it was hard to get the ball to stay up on those back shelves and get yourself to fly them all the way back there." 

 

Top-ranked Inbee Park, the defending champion who is making her first start of the year, was 2 under after a 71. Second-ranked Suzann Pettersen and No. 4 Lydia Ko also were 2 under. Pettersen had a 73 and the 16-year-old Ko shot 70.