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Inbee Park leads LPGA tournament

 
Published Aug. 9, 2014

BELMONT, Mich. — Inbee Park found a new putter — and her old touch.

The South Korean took the second-round lead Friday in the Meijer LPGA Classic, birdieing her first three holes en route to her second straight 5-under 66.

The third-ranked Park finished on the front nine, adding birdies on the par-5 fifth and eighth holes in her bogey-free round. She won six times last year in rising to No. 1.

"My putting feels like I'm back to last year," Park said. "Hopefully, I can hole some more putts the next two days."

After using a mallet putter since 2008, Park tried a friend's blade putter Tuesday and started making putts. She hit 27 putts in each round after having TaylorMade quickly make her an identical version.

No. 4 Suzann Pettersen was a stroke back at 9-under 133 after matching the course record with 64. Women's British Open winner Mo Martin withdrew with a thumb injury.

U.S. Women's Amateur: Canadian Brooke Mackenzie Henderson, 16, reached the semifinals in Glen Cove, N.Y., beating UCLA's Alison Lee 1-up. Today, Henderson faces another 16-year-old, Hannah O'Sullivan of Paradise Valley, Ariz. O'Sullivan topped Grace Na 5 and 4. In the other semifinal, Andrea Lee, 15, of Hermosa Beach, Calif., faces Kristen Gillman, 16, of Austin, Texas, who rallied after being 4-down with six holes left to beat 18-year-old Su-Hyun Oh in 20 holes. Lee defeated 14-year-old Eunjeong Seong 2 and 1.