PLAYER PICTURE: 2011-05-01

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Sandra Gal putts ninth green during the second round of the Avnet

MOBILE, Alabama -- Sandra Gal was looking for a trigger to her round Friday in the Avnet LPGA Classic, and found it with bogeys on the ninth and 10th holes of Magnolia Grove's Crossings Course.

The back-to-back bogeys served as incentive that led to five birdies on the final eight holes as Gal finished with a 5-under-par 67 and took a one-shot lead over Amy Yang midway through the tournament.

Gal is at 7-under 137, just ahead of Yang, who shot a 4-under 68 Friday.

"I (had) just made a couple bogeys, at 9, 10, and that was kind of like a turning point for me," Gal said. "I kind of got down on myself a little bit.

"Then I was like OK, let's just play one shot at a time and be patient. The birdies are going to come. They did, so I was happy about that."

Stacy Lewis, Song-Hee Kim and Karen Stupples are tied for third at 5-under 139.

Five players -- Suzann Pettersen, Sun Young Yoo, Sarah Kemp, Se Ri Pak and Jenny Suh -- are tied for sixth at 4-under 140.

Gal, who picked up her first LPGA title earlier this year in the Kia Classic, finished Friday's round with a flourish, scoring birdies at 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17.

"Obviously I'm playing well," Gal said. "I'm just enjoying myself out there. I mean, I'm not doing anything really different. I've been playing solid since the end of last year.

"Just winning, you know, I think you get more comfortable at the top. Being in the lead is something ... you know, you want to be there and feel comfortable there, so that's probably the difference now."

Yang made a birdie run at 10, 12, 14, 16 and 17.

"My irons, mostly irons," she said when asked what part of her game was the strongest. "It was inside 10 feet, all five of my birdies."

Lewis, who won the Kraft Nabisco Championship, a major title, three weeks ago, continued her solid play with a 1-under 71 to put her two shots off the lead.

"I actually hit one more green than (Thursday), but I wasn't close to the hole," Lewis said of her second round. "I didn't really get anything close. I scrambled around and just got the ball in the hole."

Ilhee Lee shot the low round of the tournament so far with a 6-under 66 Friday, but she's 1 over for the tournament.

Among those who missed the cut (the cut line was 3 over) were the world's No. 1-ranked player Yani Tseng (5 over) and No. 9-ranked Michelle Wie (4 over).

Sandra Gal birdied five of the final eight holes Friday Read more

MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Sandra Gal birdied five of the final eight holes Friday for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead over Amy Yang in the Avnet LPGA Classic, the tour's only event in a six-week stretch.

Gal, the German star who won the Kia Classic last month in California for her first LPGA Tour title, had a 7-under 137 total on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Magnolia Grove complex.

"Obviously, I'm playing well," Gal said. "I'm just enjoying myself out there. I mean, I'm not doing anything really different. I've been playing solid since the end of last year. Just winning, you know, I think you get more comfortable at the top. Being in the lead is something. You know, to be there and feel comfortable there, so that's probably the difference now."

Gal bogeyed Nos. 9 and 10 to fall to 2 under for the tournament and even par for the day, then birdied Nos. 11, 12, 13, 16 and 17 to top the leaderboard.

"It was kind of slow start," Gal said. "Just made a couple bogeys, at 9, 10, and that was kind of like a turning point for me. I kind of got down on myself a little bit. Then I was like, 'OK, let's just play one shot at a time and be patient. The birdies are going to come.' They did, so I was happy about that."

Yang shot a 68. She bogeyed No. 1 and had eight straight pars before birdieing Nos. 10, 12, 14, 16 and 17.

She credited her iron play.

"My irons, mostly irons," Yang said. "It was inside 10 feet, all five of my birdies."

Stacy Lewis, coming off a major victory in the Kraft Nabisco, had a 71, leaving her two strokes back at 5 under along with Karen Stupples (71) and Song-Hee Kim (72).

"I scrambled around and just got the ball in the hole, and was pretty happy shooting 1 under," Lewis said. "It was just kind of up and down all day. I just had to fight."

Defending champion Se Ri Pak, a three-time winner at Magnolia Grove, had a 71 to match Suzann Pettersen (68), Sun Young Yoo (68), Jenny Suh (69) and Sarah Kemp (70) at 4 under.

Grace Park, tied for the first-round lead with Kim, followed her opening 67 with a 75 to drop to 2 under.

Michelle Wie missed the cut with rounds of 76 and 72. Top-ranked Yani Tseng also dropped out, shooting 77-72.