South Korea’s Inbee Park birdied her final two holes for a 7-under

South Korea’s Inbee Park birdied her final two holes for a 7-under 64 and a one-stroke lead Friday in the inaugural Manulife Financial LPGA Classic.

The 2008 U.S. Women’s Open champion had a 9-under 133 total at Grey Silo.

China’s Shanshan Feng, coming off a major victory two weeks ago in the LPGA Championship, was a stroke back along with Brittany Lang and South Korea’s Hee Kyung Seo. Feng and Seo shot 68, and Lang had a 65.

Hawaii’s Michelle Wie, trying to break out of a season-long slump, shot her second straight 70, breaking par for only the third time in 19 rounds this year. She also made her first cut of the season. Wie is one shot in front of Hawaii’s Ayaka Kaneko, who finished up her first-round 73 and followed that with a 3-under 68. Stephanie Kono, meanwhile, missed the cut. She shot 5-over 76 and finished at 150.

Former Maui resident Kyung Kim advanced to the 36-hole final in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links tournament on Friday by winning two matches in Neshanic Station, N.J.

Kim, 18, who lives in Chandler, Ariz., will face Ashlan Ramsey, 16, of Milledgeville, Ga.

Kim topped Lakareber Abe of Angleton, Texas, 1 up in the quarterfinals, and edged Alice Jeong of Gardena, Calif., 3 and 2 in the semifinals.

“This one was tough,” Kim said after the afternoon match. “After two matches today I’m pretty tired. My legs are tired and I have two blisters, one on each foot.”

Source AP