UNKNOWN GERMAN MASSON SURGES AHEAD OF FIELD TO TAKE ONE-SHOT LEAD AT WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

CAROLINE MASSON

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Germany's Caroline Masson shot a 7-under 65 on Friday to take a surprising one-stroke lead after the second round of the Women's British Open.

Playing in the last group of the day, the 22-year-old Masson had seven birdies without a bogey on the Carnoustie Golf Links to move to 11-under 133, one stroke ahead of South Korea's Inbee Park and Meena Lee.

Masson, competing in only her second season on the European Tour, had four birdies in a front-nine 32.

"I've just had two great days out there and I'm very happy to be playing so well," Masson said. "I've played really solid, hit the fairways, hit the greens and made some putts. It's been awesome."

Park had nine birdies and a bogey in a 64, while Lee, who started the second round of the major with a two-stroke lead, closed with two birdies in a 69.

"It was a very solid day," Park said. "I putted pretty good out there and hit it really good, so I'm looking forward to the next two days."

Three players were at 8-under: Dewi-Claire Schreefel of the Netherlands, who had a 66 on Friday, and South Koreans Se Ri Pak, the 2001 champion who had a 64, and Na Yeon Choi, who had a 67.

Defending champion Yani Tseng from Taiwan was another stroke back after a second-round 66.

"I'm very happy with the position I'm in," she said.

Brittany Lincicome was the highest-placed American at 6-under 138 but she was disappointed with her round of 71.

"I just couldn't get anything going today. I had 32 putts out there, which means I wasn't hitting my second shots close enough, or I just wasn't making anything," she said. "But I'm happy with where I am going into the weekend."

Tied with Lincicome were European Tour rookie Caroline Hedwall of Sweden and Japan's Mika Miyazato, who matched their opening 69s, and South Korean Amy Yang, who had a 70.

In a group at 5-under was Paula Creamer.

"If I just go out and make as many birdies as I have been and eliminate the bogies then I feel I'll be right there on Sunday," said Creamer, who had a second-round 70.

Perhaps the unluckiest player of the day was American Angela Stanford, who was at 4-under after a 72. She could have been two better but for a bizarre incident on the final hole.

A steward indicated that her second ball had gone out of bounds, so she played another but didn't declare it "provisional."

Her first ball had kicked back inbounds, but when she got to it it was too late as her second ball was now the ball in play. So she was on the green in four and two-putted for a 6.

"I learned something today," Stanford said. "I didn't think I had to ever say 'provisional,' but I guess you always say 'provisional.'"

- Story courtesy of The Associated Press/Photo courtesy of Getty Images

SOUTH KOREAN STANDOUT LEE STORMS TO LEAD WITH BOGEY-FREE 65 AT WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN

MEENA LEE

CARNOUSTIE, Scotland – Meena Lee overcame wet conditions to shoot a 7-under 65 on Thursday for a two-shot lead after the first round of the Women's British Open.

The South Korean had seven birdies and no bogeys playing mainly in a heavy afternoon downpour.

"I like links golf. It's very different to what we play on the LPGA Tour and I really enjoyed it today, despite the weather," Lee said.

Brittany Lincicome, who started her round in good conditions early in the morning, set the early pace with a 67. Among a group at 68 were Angela Stanford, South Korea's Amy Yang, Germany's Caroline Masson and Sweden's Sofie Gustafson.

Twice a winner on the LPGA Tour in her first two seasons after turning professional in 2005, Lee is making her second visit to Scotland, having played in the British Open at St. Andrews in 2007.

Lee opened Thursday with a birdie on the first hole when she hit her 7-iron to 6 feet. She birdied the long sixth after hitting a sand wedge to 12 feet, made a 20-foot putt for birdie at the seventh and holed from nine feet at the ninth.

Putts for birdies from similar lengths followed at the 11th and long 14th. At the 17th, Lee hit two 5-woods to 45 feet and took two putts for her final birdie.

Lincicome made her charge starting at the 12th, where she made a 15-foot birdie putt. She hit a 7-iron to 7 feet at the 13th and holed the putt. Lincicome hit a huge drive on the 14th – "must have been 300 yards," she said – and then a 6-iron to 10 feet and holed that for an eagle. She also birdied the long 17th.

"I played really well," she said. "I didn't take advantage of some chances on the front nine but then really got going from the 12th. This is a great golf course and it seems to suit my game really well so I'm looking forward to the next three days."

Paula Creamer had two eagles and finished with a 69, along with Swedish rookie Caroline Hedwall, Japan's Momoko Ueda and Mika Miyazato, South Koreans Na Yeon Choi and Song-Hee Kim, Taiwan's Amy Hung and Canadian Lorie Kane.

Morgan Pressel and three-time winner Karrie Webb shot 70s, one better than defending champion Yani Tseng of Taiwan. Cristie Kerr had a 72, while Michelle Wie had a lackluster 74.

Kristy McPherson made a sensational start and reached the turn at 5 under but faltered on the back nine and finished with a 71, the same as Natalie Gulbis.

Last week's Evian Masters winner Ai Miyazato of Japan bogeyed the first five holes on her way to a 76, while former three-time winner Sherri Steinhauer slumped to a 78.

- Story courtesy of The Associated Press/Photo courtesy of Getty Images

POND: PREDICTION RECAP FROM EVIAN MASTERS

MIKA MIYAZATO

EVIAN MASTERS PREDICTED/ACTUAL ORDER OF FINISH:

Winner: Mika Miyazato ... Finish: Tied for 9th
Runner-up: Morgan Pressel ... Finish: Tied for 6th
Third: I.K. Kim ... Finish: Tied for 3rd
Fourth: Jiyai Shin ... Finish: Tied for 17th

Fifth: Cristie Kerr ... Finish: Tied for 21st

Next five finishers:

Sixth: Suzann Pettersen ... Finish: Tied for 6th

Seventh: Meena Lee ... Finish: Tied for 44th

Eighth: Yani Tseng ... Finish: Tied for 12th

Ninth: Song-Hee Kim ... Finish: Tied for 50th

Tenth: Ai Miyazato ... Finish: Champion

- Jeremy Pond, LPGA Tour Live
- Photo courtesy of Getty Images

POND: HJORTH LEADS CHARGE OF 'SLEEPER' GROUP

MARIA HJORTH

Sooner or later, Maria Hjorth is going to find herself in the winner's circle. Her play at this week's Evian Masters, once again, proved just that.

The powerful, long-hitting Swede used her length, delicate touch around the greens and stellar putting to grab a share of ninth place at the picturesque tournament held in southeastern France.

After opening with a sizzling 5-under-par 67, Hjorth finished the final 54 holes at 5 under to get to 10 under for the tournament.

Amy Yang, who has become a favorite in our "sleeper" group, finished tied for 14th at 8 under par following a 5-under 67 in the final round. The South Korean also carded a 67 on Friday in the second round of play.

But perhaps the most impressive play - and tournament rally - came from Anna Nordqvist. The Swede barely made the cut, opening with a brutal, 5-over 77 for a share of 99th place. However, Nordqvist put that shaky start behind her to go 12 under the rest of the way to pick up a share of 17th place and confidence heading into next week's Women's British Open.

Take a look at how the overall group fared throughout Evian Masters:

MARIA HJORTH

Finish: Tied for 9th (-10, 278)

Scoring by rounds: 67-69-70-72
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 16th (-6)

AMY YANG

Finish: Tied for 14th (-8, 280)
Scoring by rounds: 73-67-73-67
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 64th (+3)

ANNA NORDQVIST

Finish: Tied for 17th (-7, 281)
Scoring by rounds: 77-68-69-67
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 19th (-5)

MEENA LEE

Finish: Tied for 44th (Even, 288)

Scoring by rounds: 71-73-72-72
2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 16th (-6)

SONG-HEE KIM

Finish: Tied for 50th (+1, 289)

Scoring by rounds: 71-71-71-76

2010 Evian Masters finish: Tied for 6th (-10)

- Jeremy Pond, LPGA Tour Live

- Photo courtesy of Getty Images

TSENG STRETCHES LEAD AT LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

YANI TSENG

PITTSFORD, N.Y. - Yani Tseng extended her lead at the LPGA Championship on Saturday, putting the 22-year-old star a round away from winning her fourth major title.

The top-ranked Tseng shot a 5-under 67 to extend her lead to five strokes at 13-under 203 after the third round at Locust Hill Country Club outside Rochester.

American Morgan Pressel (70) and Cindy LaCrosse (69) were tied for second, and Hee Young Park (72) was seven shots behind Tseng. Defending champion Cristie Kerr matched Tseng with a third-round best 67 to join Stacy Lewis (70), Meena Lee (70) and Paula Creamer at 5 under.

Tseng, who turned 22 in January, was a round away from becoming the youngest to win four major golf tournaments. She also won LPGA Championship during her rookie-of-the-year season in 2008, when the event was played at Bulle Rock in Maryland, and took the Kraft Nabisco and Women's British Open last year.

Tiger Woods and Se Ri Pak were 24 when they won their fourth majors.

Tseng has seven career LPGA Tour wins, and has already won twice this year, including the State Farm Classic two weeks ago. She also has three international victories this year, sweeping the Women's Australian Open and Australian Ladies Masters.

She also finished second at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in April, losing to Lewis after taking a two-shot lead into the final round. It was a tournament in which Tseng might have jinxed herself by grabbing the championship trophy as she stepped to the first tee upon opening the final round.

Acknowledging that she's learned her lesson, Tseng joked that she has no intention of coming anywhere near the LPGA trophy before the final round is over Sunday.

There was little she did wrong Saturday, in a round played under overcast conditions for much of the afternoon. Intermittent rain over the past couple days softened the greens, but the wind picked up in the afternoon making it difficult to navigate the tight fairways and reach the small greens.

A day after she twice missed from within 3 feet, including an 18-incher for bogey on No. 18, Tseng was more consistent with her putting.

On Saturday, she sank a 6-foot putt for birdie on No. 9, and then scrambled to save par with a pair of 4-footers on Nos. 10 and 11. Then came a 7-foot birdie putt on the par-4 12th and a 14-footer on No. 13 to go to 12 under for the tournament, and extend her lead by five shots at that time.

Her only real miscue was an errant tee-shot into the left rough on No. 14 that led to a bogey 5. Tseng responded on the next hole, with a 4-foot putt for birdie. She also birdied Nos. 2 and 15 and 17.
No one else could make up any ground.

LaCrosse scrambled to shoot 3 under in a round that featured six birdies and three bogeys. In her second year on tour, her best career finish was a tie for 11th at the Shop Rite Classic three weeks ago.

At Louisville, she was a two-time Big East champion. And she also won three times on the Futures Tour.

"My game plan's kind of the same. I'm still trying to hit the fairways and greens," said LaCrosse, who will be paired with Tseng in the final round. "You never know what (Tseng) is going to do. She's an amazing player. I just kind of have to focus on what I'm going to do."

Pressel is still in the hunt in seeking her third career win and first since 2008.

Kerr appeared to finally shake off the flu bug that was bothering her this week.

Making the turn at 1 under on Saturday, she birdied four of her final nine holes, including 17 and 18.

"I scrambled my rear off," Kerr said of her first nine, which included 15-foot par-saving putt on the par-3 fifth hole. "I'm just proud of myself for the way I hung in there today and gave myself a chance to shoot a good score to get back in it."

Kerr isn't counting herself out after she ran away with the tournament last year in finishing with a 19-under 269 to win by a whopping 12 strokes.

"I think I will be within striking distance, but I would have to put up another round like this tomorrow," she said. "If I can hit a lot of greens, then I'll have a chance."

Pat Hurst, who opened the day in second, shot a 75 to drop into a tie for ninth.

- Story by The Associated Press/Photo courtesy of Getty Images

TSENG SOARS TO LEAD AT LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP

YANI TSENG

PITTSFORD, N.Y. - Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 6-under 66 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Paula Creamer in the first round of the LPGA Championship.

Meena Lee, Angela Stanford, Diana D'Alessio and Stacy Prammanasudh were 4 under, and Morgan Pressel, Stacy Lewis, Ryann O'Toole, Amy Hung, Hee Young Park, Jennifer Johnson and Maria Blomqvist were all at 3 under.

Defending champion Cristie Kerr, who was ailing with a light case of the flu, shot an even-par 72.

Play was halted in the early evening by a severe thunderstorm, but resumed at 7:39 p.m. EST with 58 players still on the course. Play was suspended until Friday at 9:12 p.m. EST, with six players still having not finished their opening rounds.

Tseng made five birdies on the front nine and three more on the back to go with a pair of bogeys. She recovered from a bad tee shot at the par-4 18th hole that landed in the thick right rough, hit her second shot to 4 feet, and drained the birdie putt for sole possession of the lead.

Tseng won the LPGA State Farm Classic on June 12 for her second victory of the year.

- The Associated Press