Yang on fire at US Women’s Open

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South Korea’s Amy Yang carded a second-round 66 to open up a three-shot lead at the halfway stage of the US Women’s Open.

Overnight leaders Karrie Webb and Marina Alex both fell down the leaderboard after rounds of 72 and 71 respectively.

World number one Inbee Park currently sits in tied fifth, while world number two Lydia Ko’s struggles continued as she followed up her first-round 70 with a 72.

Meanwhile, defending champion Michelle Wie brought herself back in contention with a second-round 68.

Yang did not get off to the best of starts as she made one birdie and one bogey on the front nine before stepping it up another gear on the back nine to make four successive birdies from the 11th to 14th hole.

“I just hit the ball really well again today, especially that four holes. I just felt good over the ball and seeing my ball rolling to the hole,” Yang said. “I know the kind of pressure that is (the U.S. Open) and I think I can handle that now.”

Three strokes behind Yang are Japan’s Shiho Oyama and Stacy Lewis, who carded rounds of 66 and 67 respectively.

Oyama powered up the leaderboard after making six birdies and two bogeys, while Lewis also enjoyed a lot more success on Friday as she sunk five birdies and two bogeys.

Alex sits alone in fourth after letting her overnight lead slip with a second-round 71, which consisted of two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey at the par-five 13th.

“Yesterday, tee to green I was really, really solid,” Alex said. “Today off the tee I struggled in certain parts. I just didn’t really find a good rhythm, but I managed to just fight through that. My scrambling was good today.”

Park and Webb are amongst six golfers currently in tied fifth on the leaderboard and trail Yang by five strokes.

Park made one birdie and a bogey on both the front and back nine during her round of 70, while Webb, who won the U.S. Women’s Open in 2000 and 2001, faltered after her first-round 66 as she made two birdies and four bogeys to finish with a second-round 72.

Joining Park and Webb in fifth are Rumi Yoshiba, Morgan Pressel, In Gee Chun and Jane Park.

Ko meanwhile made a birdie, bogey and double bogey on the par-three 12th during her disappointing round of 72 and, as a result, she remains nine strokes behind Yang.

Wie on the other hand is seven shots behind Yang as she rallied back from her first-round 72 with a 68, which included five birdies and three bogeys.

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