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Big stars in hot pursuit of Wie’s lead
Nothing is safe at Canadian Open when Pettersen, Pressel, Shin lurk
The putts didn't fall for Michelle Wie on Friday like they did the day before, but she still holds a three-shot lead after 36 holes. (JOE.BRYKSA@FREEPRESS.MB.CA)
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THE LPGA Tour’s future has set a torrid pace but its present moneymaking machines are in hot pursuit at the CN Canadian Women’s Open.
If second-round leader Michelle Wie — now 10-under-par after a 69 on Friday at St. Charles Country Club — was contemplating easing off on the gas pedal, odds are near zero that at least one of those chasers won’t rocket right past.
Wie will play today in the final pairing with World No. 4 Jiyai Shin, who bolted into contention with a 67. With more than $1.25 million in the bank this year, Shin trails Wie by three shots.
Today’s penultimate group will be World No. 3 Suzann Pettersen of Norway, the defending champ who shot another 69, and 2007 Kraft Nabisco winner Morgan Pressel of the U.S., who roared up with a 66. Both are four back of Wie’s pace.
"No, I really try not to," Wie said, asked if she’s looking over her shoulder. "I just really tried to play my own game today and as hard as that is, you do look at the scoreboard a lot, but I really try not to and I really try to focus on my own game."
Wie, the 20-year-old whose first LPGA victory came last fall, hasn’t exactly been holidaying this season, but she’s without a 2010 win and hasn’t had a top-10 finish since May.
"It is frustrating when you don’t win but there’s nothing you can do about it," she said. "All you can do is look forward, just try and do your best every step of the way and that’s what I’m trying to do."
If a 69 can be disappointing, there was that small matter of her bogey at the par-3 11th, which she aced on Thursday. It was her only bogey Friday.
"Yeah, I tried," she laughed. "Didn’t quite work out."
Shin, a Korean who won the Evian Masters in late July, has no fear about going out with Wie today.
"This year we’ve played lots of times ... almost 10 times like already," she said. "So now we are very comfortable. And then she hits it so long, but I already knew that.
"She speaks good English and she speaks good Korean, too, so we’re talking all the time. So that makes it really comfortable."
Shin said quick greens, like those the players have found at firm and fast St. Charles this week, make her very happy.
"Sometimes we just putt careful, like more focused for the stroke," she said. "So I think that’s more help for my play."
Shin’s resumé probably warranted more attention here this week, but until the final hour of her round Friday, little had been noticed. Still, she said, she didn’t feel like she was under the radar.
"I really felt that last year, people didn’t know my name," she said. "They just know my face, but now they know, ‘Go Shin,’ and everybody knows my name, so I’m happy and I appreciate it."
Pettersen, who could assume the top spot in the world rankings if she could win this week, birdied four of her last five holes Friday to join the fray.
"I love where I’m at," the defending champ said. "I like the chase down to the top, but we’ll see."
She said she played a little too much for her liking from the rough Friday.
"I didn’t find the fairways too often," she said. "It’s just a wild guess what the ball is going to do when when the fairways are firm and the greens are firm."
Pressel was the opposite of Pettersen Friday, catching fire early and holding on.
"Birdied four of the first six," she said. "I had a lot of opportunities.
"I grinded really hard (Thursday for a 72). I battled back from two-over to even twice. It’s nice to be back in contention ... and it looks like Michelle is very confident in her game right now."
If those four don’t put the pressure on, the two players in fifth might.
A pair of South Koreans, Jee Young Lee and Na Yeon Choi shot 67s to get to minus-five.
Choi, in case it matters, has made $1.29 million this season and has only been tied for second, third, second, second and won in her last five starts.
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