INCHEON, October 8, 2011 (AFP) - Soo-Jin Yang tied the course record by shooting a seven-under 65 on Saturday to capture the second-round lead at the LPGA HanaBank Championship in Incheon, South Korea.
Yang said the wide fairways and big greens at the Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course had encouraged her to play an aggressive game, but she vowed to keep her mistakes to a minimum on Sunday's final day.
"I am not planning to be too aggressive. I want to limit my mistakes and play my game.
"In order to win, obviously many things need happen for me, but putting is important and I need to keep my mental focus sharp. I think the most important thing is to keep my focus sharp and play my game."
Rolex Rankings No. 1 Yani Tseng and two-time defending champion Na Yeon Choi sit one shot back of Yang at nine-under-par heading into Sunday's final round.
Yang, a three-time career winner on the KLPGA Tour, tallied seven birdies in her bogey-free round to take the outright lead in the tournament. Yang is currently ranked second on the 2011 KLPGA Money List.
She will try to become the second non-member to win on the LPGA Tour this season, joining fellow KLPGA Tour member So-Yeon Ryu who won the 2011 U.S. Women's Open.
For the second-straight day, Na Yeon Choi recorded a bogey-free round at the LPGA HanaBank Championship and her four-under 68 on Saturday has put her one shot out of the lead heading into Sunday's final round.
That puts Choi within reach of what would be a rare three-peat, having already won the LPGA HanaBank Championship in both 2009 and 2010.
Choi is trying to become the ninth LPGA Tour player to accomplish the feat of winning a tournament in three straight years.
Choi and Tseng, who are good friends, will be paired together in the final round as they sit one stroke back of leader Soo-Jin Yang.
"Most of the time when I play a tournament, most of the time I play very aggressive," Tseng said.
"But today, I think I just didn't hit the ball quite as solid as before, and I think that's why I make some mistake. And those mistakes is from the putting, too."
Leading second-round scores on Saturday from the $1.8 million LPGA HanaBank Championship (South Korean unless stated, par 72):
134 - Soo-Jin Yang (KOR)
135 - Na Yeon Choi (KOR), Yani Tseng (TPE)
137 - Jimin Kang (KOR), Chella Choi (KOR)
138 - Meena Lee (KOR)
139 - Sun Young Yoo (KOR), Brittany Lincicome (USA), Angela Stanford (USA), Shin-Ae Ahn (KOR), Mi Hyun Kim (KOR)