After a strong second round at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, hall of famer Lydia Ko sits just one stroke back of A Lim Kim.
Ko shot -5 67 after shooting -1 in the opening round, a dramatic improvement on a day where low scores were a bit easier to come by for much of the field. Ko was far stronger with her ball-striking in round two, hitting nearly every green after struggling in round on. That combined with plenty of short game magic and strong putting allowed her to go bogey free with five birdies.
18-hole leader A Lim Kim did just enough to hold onto the lead for the second round, firing a -3 69 despite some struggles with her ball striking. Generally when Kim has played well recently, it is because she is thriving with the full swing, but here was a different story. Kim hit just eight fairways and 13 greens, but recovered well with her short game, notching 28 putts, allowing her five birdies on the day.
Also in contention are a pair of stars looking to get in the winner’s circle for the first time in awhile, Hyo Joo Kim and Charley Hull, who are both two strokes back of the lead at -5. Kim in particular was strong in the second round, tying for the round of the week with a -6 66 after a tough first round where she shot over par. A chip-in eagle on 13 was what really helped to place her firmly in contention, and she needed only 23 strokes with the putter in the round.
