Date: August 31, 2013
Author: Australian Ladies Professional Golf
Karrie Webb fired a five-under-par 67 to move into the mix at the halfway point of the Safeway Classic presented by Coca-Cola being played at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club in Portland, Oregon. Webb, who started the day at three-under got off to a perfect start with two opening birdies, she then back it up with another two on the 6th and 7th holes go out in 32. Another two birdies on 11th and 13th saw her move to nine-under-par. However, she found the water on her approach into the last from the fairway bunker, the three time winner this year composed herself to sink an eight-foot bogey putt. The Queenslander is six shots back from Thailand s Pornanong Phatlum, who was beaming with confidence after firing a second-round 6-under 66 to maintain her lead. The Thailand native carded a bogey-free second round to move to 14-under for the tournament and leads Norway s Suzann Pettersen by one stroke. Pettersen shot the low round of the week so far on Friday, a 9-under 63, which also marks her lowest round of the 2013 season. The Norwegian moved from tied for 20th to solo second. Germany s Sandra Gal (66-66) sits two shots off the lead in solo third at 12-under while compatriot and LPGA Tour rookie Caroline Masson (69-64) moved into fourth place after an 8-under 64. I played this good before, but this is the first tournament that I felt really good and really confident, so I&aposve played really good, better than I have done before, said Phatlum. I&aposm more confident and everything is better than I have before. Phatlum won the unofficial HSBC Brasil Cup in 2012 and has three top-10 finishes in 2013 including a season-best T2 at the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic. But she’s no stranger to the winner s circle on other tours. Phatlum has seven professional victories on the Ladies Asian Golf Tour and Ladies European Tour and said an LPGA win would be huge step in her career. Webb is tied for 11th place heading into Saturday. Fellow Queenslander Sarah Jane Smith couldn’t repeat her great score from the opening round, instead she had to settle for an even par round of 72 to be at five-under and share 34th position. Sarah Kemp (74) and Katherine-Hull Kirk (68) were the only other two Australians to make the week-end. They are both scrapped in on the cut number which was two-under-par and are tied for 66th. Unfortunately Lindsey Wright (73), Julia Boland (74) and Breanna Elliott (75) all finished at one-over, while Frances Bondad (75) was a further shot back.