Napoles: South Korea's Park Sung-Hyun opened up a commanding three-shot lead at the season-ending LPGA Tour Championship on Friday, forging clear of the field after a front-nine birdie blitz.
The 24-year-old US Women's Open champion carded a seven-under 65 at the Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida, to leave her at 12 under for the tournament.
If Park manages to defend her lead she could scoop the Player of the Year honours as well as the LPGA money title and the US$1 million (33 million baht) bonus on offer for the Race to the CME Globe crown.
The Korean rookie would also be likely to unseat China's Feng Shanshan as world No.1 with a victory.
Pornanong Phatlum was the best Thai performer at the halfway mark.
She shot a 68 for 138 to stay joint 12th with American Lexi Thompson and former world No.1 Lydia Ko of New Zealand.
World No.9 Ariya, who won the $1 million bonus last year, hit a 71 for 139.
Park, who carded a 67 in the first round, got off to a steady start on Friday with four consecutive pars.
She then uncorked five straight birdies from the fifth hole onwards to put her at five under at the turn, 10 under overall.
A further birdie on 12 was followed by a spectacular eagle three on the par-five 17th, when she nailed a 30-foot putt. A bogey on the 18th, when she missed a five-foot par putt, was the only blemish.
"I didn't know I had made five in a row," Park said of her front nine birdie run. "I got behind in writing down my score and when I did and realised what I had done it felt good."
Park is being pursued by Germany's Caroline Masson (66) and Australia's Sarah Jane Smith (69). bangkok post/afp
