Jin Young Ko carded five birdies to finish with a 7-under 64 and secure a share of the lead alongside Nasa Hataoka at the DIO Implant LA Open on Friday.
Hataoka had a strong back nine during the second round at the Wilshire Country Club, birdieing her final three holes for a total of seven birdies and four bogeys to meet Ko at 7-under. Ko birdied holes No. 11-14 and notched her eighth of the day on the 17th to match Hataoka at the top of the LA Open leaderboard after two rounds.
Jin Young Ko bulldozed her way to the top of the leaderboard after the second day at the @lpga_LA.Watch her highlights before she tees off on Saturday! 👇 pic.twitter.com/Zy6EFckso2— LPGA (@LPGA) April 23, 2022
Jin Young Ko bulldozed her way to the top of the leaderboard after the second day at the @lpga_LA.Watch her highlights before she tees off on Saturday! 👇 pic.twitter.com/Zy6EFckso2
Play was delayed for an hour and 15 minutes due to rain damage Thursday night, with 18 players unable to complete their rounds because of darkness.
“The wind was pretty strong,” Hataoka said. “The greens are pretty tight, narrow. So my plan was to hit the green, not try to be too aggressive. On the back nine, the wind kind of got weaker, so I was able to hit at the pin.”
Hannah Green sits two strokes behind Ko and Hataoka after firing a bogey-free 67, while Minjee Lee is three strokes back.
The third round begins Saturday at 7 p.m. ET on the Golf Channel.