Ontario, Canada (SportsNetwork.com) - Hee Young Park and Shanshan Feng both shot their second straight bogey-free round as the two stand atop the leaderboard at 11-under-par 131 following Friday's second round of the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.
Park, who shared the 18-hole lead with Michelle Wie, won this event last year for her second career LPGA Tour victory. Feng, a three-time LPGA Tour winner, won the Reignwood LPGA Classic and the CME Group Titleholders in 2013.
Park and Feng's first and second round scores mirror each other, as Park shot a first-round 65 followed by a 66 Friday. Feng finished the first round with a 66 and shot a 65 Friday at Grey Silo Golf Course.
"Today's weather was lot better than first round and I still hit a lot of greens," Park said. "And my goal was to try to leave uphill putts and then that worked well today also. I think that made me more comfortable today."
Wie is still very much in striking distance, standing one shot back of the co- leaders at 10-under 132 for the tournament after a 67 Friday. Now she is focused on making a move past the leaders during the weekend.
"That would be a lot of fun," Wie said. "I definitely got close a lot of times here in Canada and it would mean a lot. But it's a long way until Sunday and I'm really just going to go out there and just focused on tomorrow's round."
Anna Nordqvist tied for the low round of the day, shooting a 7-under 64 and putting her at 9-under for the tournament, just two shots back. The person who tied for the low round of the day with Nordqvist was fellow Swede Pernilla Lindberg, who needed every shot to make the cut. She finished at even-par 142 after a first-round 78.
Xi Yu Lin shot her second straight 67, putting her at 8-under 134. Inbee Park, So Yeon Ryu, Belen Mozo and Na Yeon Choi are all four shots back at 7-under 135.
Park picked up where she left off in the first round, birdieing three of her opening nine holes, including one on the par-3 ninth. She would finish her round with no bogeys and two birdies on the back nine, rounding things out with a birdie on No. 18.
As for Feng, she moved up the leaderboard in spurts. Starting on No. 11, Feng began with three straight pars before birdieing 14. After a par on 15, she rattled off two more birdies on 16 and 17.
Feng would close out her round strong as well with birdies on Nos. 3 through 5. She would finish with five straight pars, completing her bogey-free round.
"I think I have a habit that I don't really look at a scoreboard during my play, so until you tell me, I don't know I'm leading," Feng said. "Of course, I'm really happy about my playing today because it's a bogey-free round again, six birdies. I think I did pretty well."
NOTES: Five Canadian players made the cut, which was at 1-over-par 143. Sue Kim (141), amateur Brooke Henderson (141), Jennifer Kirby (141), Alena Sharp (142) and Nicole Vandermade (143) ... A total of 79 players finished above the cut line, which is the lowest cut line for a par 71 course this season.
