Catriona Matthew lying handy in joint fifth

place in Dubai Ladies Masters

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
South Korean In Kyung Kim finished two shots clear of American Michelle Wie after the second round of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.
Kim shot a seven-under-par 65 (one shot above Louise Stahle's course record) on a beautiful day at the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club.
She carded seven birdies and finished at nine-under-par for the tournament, with Wie in outright second after a solid round of 68.
The 21-year-old world number 13, Kim started her campaign with a two-under 70 on Wednesday but picked up the pace with birdies at the 10th, 12th, 15th, second, fifth, seventh and eighth holes.
She may be visiting Dubai for the first time, but she is joined by a two-time winner of the event on caddie duties.
Terry McNamara worked as Annika Sorenstam’s bagman when she won the tournament in both 2006 and 2007, as well as at her farewell tournament in 2008.
Kim, who started the day in a share of eighth place, admitted that his help was invaluable. “I think he has a little different yardage because Annika hits it further than I do. But he won here twice and he won the par 3 event twice. I think I have the right caddie here,” she said.
Kim has earned over $2 million since turning pro in 2006. She clinched her first victory on the LPGA at the 2008 Longs Drugs Challenge and in 2009 she beat Se Ri Pak by one stroke to secure her second victory at the State Farm Classic. She said that the key to her round was accurate club selection. “I had the right numbers and had some good shots into the greens. I was very pleased.”
Wie teed off late and started the day in a tie for fifth, three shots behind Maria Hjorth of Sweden. After seeing the target set by Kim, she made an early charge and birdied her first three holes.
“I kind of went out there, I saw the scoring was really low and I was like, I have to start out like this, you know. So I just kind of went out there and it kind of worked out,” Wie said.
The 20-year-old world number 12, who won her first pro tournament at the Lorena Ochoa Invitational last month, dropped a shot at the sixth hole when her second shot found a bunker. She sank birdie putts on the 10th and 12th holes, before three putting at the 13th for a bogey. She holed a long birdie putt on the 400-yard par-four 14th hole, but missed a four-footer for birdie on 17.
She said: “I missed a couple of short ones out there. Definitely going to work on that today, and hopefully that won't happen tomorrow.”
South Korean Amy Yang remained in contention after a round of 70 and shared third at six-under with Tania Elosegui.
The 28-year-old Spaniard used a seven iron to ace the 160-yard, par-3, seventh hole for the second hole-in-one of her career.
Starting the day from the 10th tee a good six shots off the pace, Elosegui carded a superb 66 to go six under after 36 holes. She birdied her second hole of the day and kept the momentum rolling as the day wore on, finishing her front nine five-under-par.
On her hole in one, she said: “I just hit it – it was a little bit downwind from the left. When I hit the ball, the impact was not that good, but the ball went straight into the pin after pitching about two yards short of the hole.
“Overall, it was a great round, but I am still feeling very, very tired after flying in from the States,” said Elosegui, who arrived just a few hours before her first round tee time on Wednesday. “Of course, I would like to have a good weekend. For that to happen, I need to sleep well.”
The first round leader Hjorth was tied for the lead with Kim for most of the day until she dropped a shot at the 16th. Just one behind with a hole to go, she twice went into the water short of the green on the par-five 18th hole, resulting in a triple bogey and a round of 73. She slipped back into a share of fifth place at five under with Scotland’s Catriona Matthew, Paraguay’s Julieta Granada and Thailand’s Titiya Plucksataporn.
“I hit a really good drive, and second shot was a perfect 4 iron. Hit it maybe a little bit heavy. But I think wind was maybe a little bit stronger as well, and you kind of expect it but obviously went in the water, but I took a drop. But a perfect yardage and hit a shot, for some reason, the wind is just so much stronger obviously than I thought and it came up short and spun back again,” Hjorth said.
“So that's how it is. Of course, it's disappointing to finish off like that, because I played pretty solid again all day today. Just didn't make as many putts as I did yesterday. So we'll see. There's still two rounds to go.”
Sophie Gustafson, who leads the LET’s Henderson Money List, was still in touch at halfway in a share of 14th at three under par.
SCOTSWATCH: Catriona Matthew, chasing the LET money title, is handily placed in joint fifth place on 139 after a 68. Elosegui is the only European ahead of her.
Musselburgh's Vikki Laing also had a good second round, a 69, to be joint 13th on 141.
The third Scottish qualifier was Krystle Caithness, thanks to a second-round 70, an improvement of six shots, for 146, which beat the cut with a shot to spare.
Not so lucky were Lynn Kenny (Archerfield Links), with a pair of 75s for 150, and Clare Queen (The Carrick at Cameron House) on 154 with scores of 78 and 76.
SECOND-ROUND TOTALS
(Par: 144: 2x72)
135 In Kyung Kim (Kor) 70 65
137 Michelle Wie (USA) 69 68
138 Tania Elosegui (Spa) 72 66, Amy Yang (USA) 68 70
139 Catriona Matthew (Sco) 71 68, Maria Hjorth 66 73, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 68 71, Julieta Granada (Par) 68 71
140 Anna Nordqvist 72 68, Sophie Giquel (Fra) 72 68, Laura Davies (Eng) 71 69, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 71 69
141 Minea Blomqvist (Fin) 69 72, Virginine Lagoutte-Clement (Fra) 69 72, Karen Stupples (Eng) 71 70, Vikki Laing (USA) 72 69, Melissa Reid (Eng) 73 68, Sophie Gustafson 72 69
142 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 71 71, Caroline Afonso (Fra) 72 70, Dana Lacey (Aus) 73 69, Becky Morgan (Wal) 75 67, Christina Kim (USA) 72 70
143 Rebecca Coakley (Irl) 72 71, Trish Johnson (USA) 70 73, Anna Rawson (Aus) 70 73
144 Jade Schaeffer (Fra) 72 72, Iben Tinning (Den) 71 73, Lynnette Teresa Brooky (Nzl) 73 71, Johanna Mundy (Eng) 71 73, Carin Koch (Swe) 73 71, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 71 73, Federica Piovano (Ita) 73 71
145 Felicity Johnson (Eng) 74 71, Anja Monke (Ger) 77 68, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 75 70, Elisa Serramia Neundorf (Spa) 74 71, Bomi Suh (USA) 74 71, Paula Marti (Spa) 72 73, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 73 72, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 76 69, Sophie Walker (Eng) 76 69, Georgina Simpson (Eng) 76 69, Louise Friberg (Swe) 76 69, Marta Prieto (Spa) 73 72, Breanne Alicia Loucks (Wal) 73 72, Florentyna Parker (Eng) 77 68, Diana Luna (Ita) 75 70
146 Zuzana Masinova (Cro) 74 72, Jenni Kuosa (Fin) 72 74, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 75 71, Maria Boden 74 72, Becky Brewerton (Wal) 73 73, Louise Stahle 76 70, Elisabeth Esterl (Ger) 70 76, Krystle Caithness (Sco) 76 70, Ashleigh Simon (Rsa) 72 74, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 78 68, Laura Cabanillas (Spa) 75 71
147 Frances Bondad (Aus) 75 72, Morgana Robbertze (Rsa) 71 76, Holly Aitchison (Eng) 75 72, Nikki Garrett (Aus) 77 70, Nina Reis (Swe) 74 73, Kirsty S Taylor (Eng) 73 74, Martina Gillen (Irl) 76 71, Henrietta Zuel (Eng) 76 71
MISSED THE CUT
148 Hazel Kavanagh (Irl) 74 74, Smriti Mehra (Ind) 75 73, Lora Fairclough (Eng) 75 73, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 72 76, Ayaka Hayashi (Jpn) 75 73, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 73 75, Margherita Rigon (Ita) 74 74
149 Karen Lunn (Aus) 73 76, Riikka Hakkarainen (Fin) 74 75, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 76 73, Emma Zackrisson (Swe) 75 74
150 Kiran Matharu (Eng) 75 75, Julie Greciet (Fra) 76 74, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 75 75, Stefania Croce (Ita) 77 73
151 Laurette Maritz (Rsa) 75 76, Christel Boeljon (Ned) 78 73, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 75 76, Anna Tybring 72 79 (Swe)
152 Julie Tvede (Den) 79 73, Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 77 75, Cecilia Ekelundh (Swe) 77 75
153 Melodie Bourdy (Fra) 80 73
154 Eva Steinberger (Aut) 79 75, Clare Queen (Sco) 78 76, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 83 71
155 Joanne Mills (Aus) 81 74, Christine Hallstrom (Swe) 77 78, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 76 79, Barbara Genuini (Fra) 82 73
156 Samantha Head (Eng) 80 76, Tara Delaney (Irl) 81 75
158 Jo Pritchard (Wal) 81 77, Lydia Hall (Wal) 79 79, Jessica Ji (SKor) 80 78
159 Denise-Charlotte Becker (Ger) 82 77, Johanna Lundberg (Swe) 79 80
160 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 81 79
162 Naela El Attar (Egy) 82 80
Disqualfied: Vera Shimanskaya (Rus) 84
Retired: K M Juul (Den) 91