Defending champion Yani Tseng shot a 4-under-par 67 on Saturday, and Amy Yang had a 64 to share the second-round lead at 9 under in the LPGA Tour’s NW Arkansas Championship in Rogers, Ark.
The top-ranked Tseng, the LPGA Championship and Women’s British Open winner, leads the tour with four victories this season and has seven overall wins this year. Yang is winless on the LPGA Tour.
Taylor Leon (67) was a stroke back, and former Arkansas star Stacy Lewis (69) was 7 under along with U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Cristie Kerr (66).
“I think it’s hard to not have pressure because, I mean, for sure I’ve got pressure tomorrow, defending champion and in the lead,” Tseng said. “I know tomorrow, the first couple holes I’m going to be nervous. If I were not nervous, that would be a little weird, so I mean, I care.”
WALKER CUP
Rhys Pugh, Steven Brown, James Byrne and Paul Cutler helped Britain and Ireland take a 7-5 lead over the United States in the Walker Cup, winning consecutive matches.
Britain and Ireland took a 3-1 lead in the morning foursomes in the two-day amateur competition, but the Americans went ahead 4-3 when Peter Uihlein, Jordan Spieth and Harris English won the first three singles matches in the afternoon. After heavy rain, the 17-year-old Pugh, from Wales, started the rally.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in these boys,” Britain and Ireland captain Nigel Edwards said. “They’re a great bunch of lads and they’ve proved it this afternoon. They’ve knuckled down and done the job.”
Top-ranked Patrick Cantlay earned the last point for the Americans, beating Michael Stewart on Royal Aberdeen’s Balgownie Course in Scotland.
CHIP SHOTS
U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy birdied four of his last eight holes to move within three shots of the lead in the KLM Open in Hilversum, Netherlands. McIlroy had a 2-under 68. South Africa’s James Kingston and Scotland’s Garry Orr shot 66s to top the leaderboard at 10 under. England’s David Lynn (68) was a stroke back. … Lisa Schlesinger topped the USGA Senior Women’s Amateur leaderboard at 5 under with two holes left when play was suspended because of darkness in the first round of stroke-play qualifying in Ooltewah, Tenn.
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