Miyazato, Stanford shoot to top at Canadian Open

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This article was published 27/08/2011 (5489 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MIRABEL, Que. — Soft greens and windless weather left Hillsdale Golf Club open for low scoring and both Angela Stanford and Ai Miyazato jumped on it Friday at the Canadian Women’s Open.

Stanford shot 66 and Miyazato had 68 to share the lead at 11 under par 133 after the second round of the US$2.25 million tournament on the tree-lined par-72 layout north of Montreal.

“The wind never really kicked up, so that helps, and the greens are still pretty soft,” said Stanford. “It’s not surprising people are playing well.”

Song-Hee Kim was alone in third at 9 under 135 after a 68, with eight players tied at 8 under 136, including defending champion Michelle Wie.

The projected cut was set at 1 under par, tying the tournament record low set in 1998 at the Essex club in Windsor, Ont. Eighty of 155 players shot under par.

Six of the 18 Canadians advanced to weekend play, led by Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., who started the day alone in third after an opening round 66 but bogeyed three of her first nine holes before rebounding with a pair of birdies on the back nine. She sits at 5-under.

Others making the cut were Lisa Meldrum of Montreal (4 under), Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que. (3 under), Lorie Kane of Charlottetown (2 under), and Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., and 16-year-old amateur Jisoo Keel of Coquitlam, B.C. (both at 1 under).

Adrienne White of Red Deer, Alta, who opened with a 69, just missed the cut after a 75 left her at even par.

Stanford’s round had seven birdies and a lone bogey on the par 4 ninth.

She joked after her first-round 67 that her putter had finally shown up for a tournament but cautioned a day later that “it’s still to be determined because I have two days left. I can’t fall in love with him just yet. We’re on speaking terms though, so that’s good.”

Stanford, the 2006 runner-up to Cristie Kerr, has three top 5 finishes but is looking for her first win of the year.

Miyazato began the day tied for the lead at 7 under with Pernilla Lindberg, who shot 71.

“The fairway is wide open, the greens are big,” she said. “You can be aggressive hitting the second shot.

“So this weekend (the winning score) will be close to 20 under, but it depends on the weather and it depends on the pin positions. I’ll try to make as many birdies as I can.”

The forecast is for more fine weather today but heavy rainstorms are expected late in the day on Sunday.

Players tied at 8 under 136 were Wie (69), Lindberg (71), Seon Hwa Lee, who had the low round of the morning group at 65, as well as Paula Creamer (68), Becky Morgan (67), Sophie Gustafson (68), Gerina Piller (66) and Brittany Lincicome (68).

“It’s what I wanted for the weekend,” said 21-year-old Wie. “I’m motivated to go out and try to get this thing done. I’ll do like I’ve done the last two days — stay paient and try to make a lot more birdies.”

Miyazato, who won five tournaments in 2010 as she traded the world’s top ranking back and forth with Kerr, struggled early this season with her attention torn between golf and the deadly earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March.

While Miyazato stalled, Yani Tseng of Taiwan roared into the No. 1 spot with five wins.

Tseng, who missed the cut last year at St. Charles in Winnipeg, fired a second straight 71 to advance to weekend play.

–The Canadian Press