LPGA WAL-MART NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP

Wooo, Pig! Lewis!

Local fans cheered by 6-under 65

Stacy Lewis, the four-time Arkansas All-American, parlayed four early birdies into a 6-under-par 65 and is in a four-way tie for the lead at the LPGA Wal-Mart Northwest Arkansas Championship after 36 holes, even after ending her round with a three-putt bogey.
Stacy Lewis, the four-time Arkansas All-American, parlayed four early birdies into a 6-under-par 65 and is in a four-way tie for the lead at the LPGA Wal-Mart Northwest Arkansas Championship after 36 holes, even after ending her round with a three-putt bogey.

ROGERS - World No. 2 Stacy Lewis did her part to create interest for today’s final round of the LPGA Wal-Mart Northwest Arkansas Championship.

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NWA Media

South Korean golfer So Yeon Ryu shot a 5-under-par 66 on Saturday to land in a four-way tie for fi rst with Stacy Lewis, Beatriz Recari and Chie Arimura after the second round of the Wal-Mart NW Arkansas Championship. Ryu and Arimura will tee off at 1:42 p.m. in today’s final round. Lewis and Recari are scheduled to begin at 1:50 p.m.

Lewis, the four-time University of Arkansas All-American, stirred the hometown fans into Hog calls Saturday afternoon with a 6-under 65 to pull into a four-way tie for the lead at 10 under after 36 holes at Pinnacle Country Club.

Spain’s Beatriz Recari, South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu and Japan’s Chie Arimura, a tour rookie, are tied with Lewis, who will be shooting for her eighth LPGA Tour victory.

Lewis started her day on No. 10 and went on a four-hole birdie streak on No. 14 before bogeying the par-5 18th. She began a three-hole birdie streak on No. 2, her 11th hole, and made another birdie on No. 8 before ending her round with a three-putt bogey on the ninth.

Lewis said she “made a little bit of a mess of the green on nine,” a contrast to her putting on the other 17 holes.

“I putted really well all day, so I was kind of surprised to see that,” Lewis said. “I made so many birdies out there, it’s hard to be upset.”

First-round leader Mika Miyazato of Japan, who led by a stroke after a 65 on Friday, birdied four of her first five holes to get to 10 under, but three bogeys on her back nine left her with a 70 and at 7 under.

Miyazato’s playing partner, Ryu, moved to 10 under on two separate occasions. She missed a short birdie putt on No. 4, her 13th hole of the day that would have given herthe outright lead at 11 under.

“I missed a couple of really short birdie putts today, but I really didn’t look back and really focused after that,” Ryu said.

Lewis birdied three of Pinnacle’s five par-3s. She needed only 27 putts on the round, including eight consecutive one-putts on eight consecutive holes.

Over 36 holes, Lewis has three bogeys, with two coming on the par-4 ninth.

Lewis has made three bogeys in the first two rounds, but two of those have occurred on the par-4 ninth.

Friday’s bogey at No. 9 came after she flew the green with her approach; Saturday, it was a three-putt bogey.

“I think it’s one of the harder second shots on this golf course just because it’shard to judge where the pin is on the green,” said Lewis, who will play with Recari in today’s final pairing.

After laying up short of the water on the par-5 18th, Lewis’ third shot from 120 yards found the green but spun back down the hill. Her subsequent chip followed the same path down the slope, but she was able to get up and down for bogey.

Arimura and Recari duplicated Lewis’ 67 and 65 rounds. Ryu has shot back-to-back 66s and will be paired with Arimura today.

There are four players at 8 under, including I.K. Kim who shot 64 Saturday, and world No. 1 Inbee Park who birdied the last two holes to finish with a 65.

Just behind them at 7 under are Miyazato and 16-yearold amateur Lydia Ko of New Zealand.

“I had a bogey-free round today, so hopefully I’m goingto kind of continue that mode tomorrow and just make pars, just keep rolling some birdies along the way,” Ko said. “I’ve just got to try my best, and if somebody else shoots 7 under I can’t control what they do - just play my game.”

Hall of Famer Juli Inkster leads a group of seven at 6 under.

“I hit every green but one,” said Inkster, who turns 53 on Monday. “I just need to drive the ball in the fairway and give myself chances.”

Defending champion Ai Miyazato bounced back from an opening-round 73 to shoot a 7-under 64 to reach 5 under.

Karen Stupples (Arkansas State) shot an even-par 70 after two birdies and two bogeys and is eight strokes behind the leaders at 2 under.

Stacy Prammanasudh (Conway) suffered a double bogey on the sixth but birdied 15 and sits at 1 under for the tournament.

Leaderboard

WAL-MART NW ARKANSAS CHAMPIONSHIP At Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers Purse: $2 million Yardage: 6,344; Par 71 Second Round a-denotes amateur Chie Arimura .................. 67-65-132 Stacy Lewis ...............67-65-132 Beatriz Recari ................. 67-65-132 So Yeon Ryu .................. 66-66-132 I.K. Kim .......................... 70-64-134 Inbee Park ...................... 69-65-134 Pornanong Phatlum ....... 69-65-134 Ji Young Oh.................... 68-66-134 Lydia Ko ......................... 69-66-135 Mika Miyazato ................ 65-70-135 Juli Inkster...................... 71-65-136 Moriya Jutanugarn ......... 69-67-136 Brooke Pancake ............. 69-67-136 Paula Creamer ................ 68-68-136 Christel Boeljon .............. 67-69-136 Mina Harigae .................. 67-69-136 Sarah Kemp ................... 67-69-136 ARKANSANS Karen Stupples ............... 69-71-140 Stacy Prammanasudh ... 69-72-141 FAILED TO QUALIFY a- Gaby Lopez ................ 79-74-153 Full scoreboard, Page 8C

By the numbers

0◊Dollar amount amateur Lydia Ko will earn if she wins

1◊Number of Americans in top 10 after two rounds

4◊Players who withdrew before or during second round, including Jennifer Rosales, who tied for 14th last year

4◊Top-25 finishes for Stacy Lewis in event since turning pro in 2009 6◊Countries represented in top 10: South Korea (4), Japan (2), New Zealand, Thailand, U.S., Spain

8◊Americans tied for 18th or better

37◊Difference in age between amateur Lydia Ko (16) and Hall of Famer Julie Inkster (53). Ko is tied for ninth; Inkster is tied for 11th

38◊World rank of Brittany Lincicome, the highest ranked American to miss the cut

53◊Under-par scores recorded in second round

64◊Saturday’s lowest rounds, 7 under, shot by I.K. Kim of South Korea and defending champion Ayi Myazato of Japan

69◊2-under round shot by former teen phenom Michelle Wie, who did not make the cut

74◊Number of players making the cut with 36-hole scores of even par or better

79◊World ranking for Wie, who has missed the cut six times in 12 starts this year.

1:50◊Tee time for final grouping of Stacy Lewis and Beatriz Becari

Sports, Pages 21 on 06/23/2013

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