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Sports

Matthew maintains Airbus LPGA Classic lead

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

Mobile, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - Catriona Matthew carded a 5-under 67 on Friday to maintain the lead of the Airbus LPGA Classic.

Matthew, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, finished two rounds on the Crossings Course at RTJ Golf Trail at Magnolia Grove at 13-under-par 131.

"There's still 36 holes to go," said Matthew. "If it's anything like the first two days, we're going to have to keep making birdies."

Charley Hull also shot a 67 to move into second place at 12-under, while Anna Nordqvist (66), Jessica Korda (67) and Hee Young Park (66) shared third at minus-10.

Lexi Thompson (65) and Jenny Shin (68) are tied for sixth at 9-under. Stacy Lewis (70) and Suzann Pettersen (70) highlight a group of eight players sharing eighth place at 8-under 136.

Matthew opened her day with four straight pars before converting two birdies in a three-hole stretch from the fourth to move to 10-under. She then bogeyed the ninth to fall back to 9-under.

She got that shot back with a birdie at the 12th, and pulled within a shot of the clubhouse leader Hull with another gain at the 14th.

Matthew then met Hull atop the leaderboard with a birdie at the 16th and claimed the outright lead with a birdie at the 17th. She parred the last to maintain her advantage heading into the weekend.

"I hit 17 greens so I gave myself a lot of chances," Matthew said. "I didn't hole many on the front nine, but then the putter got going a little bit on the back nine. Nice to shoot 5-under."

Hull had earlier started on the back nine and parred her first six holes before rolling in a birdie at the 16th.

After parring the next three holes, she converted birdies at the second and fourth to move to 10-under.

Three straight gains from the sixth jumped Hull to minus-13, but she then tripped to a bogey at the ninth to finish at 12-under and claim the clubhouse lead.

"This morning when I started off par, par, par, I was a bit frustrated because I wanted to make birdie straightaway, but I got one towards the end," Hull said. "Missing a few putts but you're always going to miss a few putts when you're playing well. But I'm just excited about this golf course and I quite like it."

NOTES: Matthew's last win came at the 2011 Lorena Ochoa Invitational ... Hull is seeking her first career win on the LPGA Tour ... The cut line fell at 2- under-par 142, with 70 players advancing to the weekend. Among those to miss the cut was world No. 1 Inbee Park, who had not missed a cut since the 2013 Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic ... Lewis can take the No. 1 ranking from Park with a win, a share of second place with no more than two other players or a solo third-place finish.