Stacy Lewis moves into position for title run at US Women’s Open, 3 behind leader Amy Yang

Stacy Lewis ( Getty Images ) 

FROM GOLF WEEK

By Beth Ann Nichols

LANCASTER, Pennsylvania – Stacy Lewis, one of the best big-picture thinkers on the LPGA Tour, was gracious in defeat at Pinehurst last June, giving friend Michelle Wie her due while being honest about what a Wie U.S. Women’s Open victory really meant for the LPGA.
Still, Lewis charged on Sunday with a 66 over No. 2 and finished second. Lewis isn’t in the business of collecting runner-up medals. She’s eager to win, whether it’s in a family card game of Jerky Jack or on the biggest stage in the women’s game.
Today (Saturday), at the 70th U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club, Lewis will join leader Amy Yang in the final group. Officials are expecting spectacular crowds this weekend, which plays right into the hand of Lewis, who likes where she stands on the board: three shots behind Yang, who has seven top-5 finishes in the majors but no wins.
 In fact, Yang has twice played in the final pairing on Sunday at the U.S. Women’s Open. In 2012, she finished runner-up to Na Yeon Choi and last year played alongside Wie, shooting 74 to come in fourth.
“It's been a really long time since I felt that way over the ball,” Lewis said of her ballstriking Friday in her second-round 67.
“It's nice when you are tapping in a couple 5-irons.”
A couple of stray hybrids on Lewis’ closing holes, Nos. 8 and 9, were her only regrets. She pushed her approach shot on the par-4 ninth and left herself with a difficult up and down, making bogey.
“At No. 9, that miss has got to be left all day,” she said. “More than anything that's what I'm kicking myself about.”
Yang’s 66 was highlighted by a stretch of four consecutive birdies, on Nos. 11-14. She finished the first two rounds at 7-under 133. Japan’s Shiho Oyama matched Yang's 66, the day’s low round, to share second place with Lewis.
Yang, a 25-year-old South Korean with two LPGA victories, has the game of a player who should win more.
“I know the kind of pressure that is,” Yang said, “and I think I can handle that now.”
Eleven players are under par after two rounds at the soft, long, yet lovely Lancaster. World No. 1 Inbee Park is among them at 2 under. Like many players, Park lamented over the number of putts she left short Friday.
“It’s hard to think that you have to smash the putts at a U.S. Open,” said Park, a two-time champion at this event.
Wie powered through some hip pain on the hilly terrain, delighting fans with a 2-under 68. She’s even par for the championship and tied for 12th.
“It is a little bit tough,” Wie said of her injured left leg. “But tape it up, brace it up and good to go.
Lewis, whose 11 LPGA victories include two majors, started off shakily in this championship but has played the past 24 holes in 6 under. She said the closing 66 at Pinehurst is a reminder of how fast things can turn around at this event.
“That's what I was telling myself on the front nine yesterday,” she said. “You can have nine bad holes and still win this golf tournament.”
Lewis rented a house this week for her tight-knit team. The tournament’s TV coverage was on in the house and she walked away. She’d prefer to spend her nights playing cards. Anything to keep her mind off the difficult task ahead.
So, did she win at Jerky Jack?
“Of course I won,” she said.
Spoken like a champion.
Scots Catriona Matthew, Heather MacRae and Kylie Walker all missed the cut
SCOREBOARD
par 140 (2x70)
 

1	Amy Yang	67	66	.					133
T2	Stacy Lewis	69	67						136
T2	Shiho Oyama	70	66						136
4	Marina Alex	66	71						137
T5	Inbee Park	68	70						138
T5	Jane Park	66	72						138
T5	Rumi Yoshiba	70	68						138
T5	Morgan Pressel	68	70						138
T5	In Gee Chun	68	70						138
T5	Karrie Webb	66	72						138
11	Min Lee	71	68						139
T12	Angela Stanford	71	69						140
T12	Sei-Young Kim	73	67						140
T12	Mi Hyang Lee	68	72						140
T12	Pernilla Lindberg	70	70						140
T12	Michelle Wie	72	68						140
T12	So Yeon Ryu	72	68						140
T12	Lizette Salas	71	69						140
T12	Brittany Lang	70	70						140
T20	Lee Lopez	71	70						141
T20	Ai Suzuki	70	71						141
T20	Candie Kung	71	70						141
T20	Na Yeon Choi	67	74						141
T20	Q Baek	70	71						141
T20	Ryann O'Toole	71	70						141
T20	Ayako Uehara	71	70						141
T20	Azahara Munoz	69	72						141
T20	Jung-Min Lee	70	71						141
T20	Kris Tamulis	72	69						141
T20	Megan Khang	71	70						141
T20	Lala Anai	71	70						141
T32	Laura Davies	70	72						142
T32	Erika Kikuchi	71	71						142
T32	M.J. Hur	73	69						142
T32	Paula Creamer	69	73						142
T32	Muni He	68	74						142
T32	Lydia Ko	70	72						142
T32	Austin Ernst	68	74						142
T32	Teresa Lu	71	71						142
T32	Lee-Anne Pace	73	69						142
T32	Jenny Shin	74	68						142
T32	Sydnee Michaels	68	74						142
T32	Emma Talley	70	72						142
T44	Hannah O'Sullivan	72	71						143
T44	Brooke Henderson	70	73						143
T44	Alison Lee	70	73						143
T44	Lexi Thompson	71	72						143
T44	I.K. Kim	74	69						143
T44	Maria Balikoeva	74	69						143
T44	Charley Hull	71	72						143
T44	Mo Martin	71	72						143
T44	Gerina Piller	71	72						143
T44	Elizabeth Nagel	68	75						143
T54	Kim Kaufman	72	72						144
T54	Karine Icher	73	71						144
T54	Chella Choi	71	73						144
T54	Ha Na Jang	72	72						144
T54	Mariel Galdiano	70	74						144
T54	Jaye Marie Green	71	73						144
T54	Sakura Yokomine	71	73						144
T54	Danielle Kang	71	73						144
T54	Mirim Lee	71	73						144
T54	Haruka Morita-Wanyaolu	71	73						144
.MISSED		CUT
T64	Hee Young Park	72	73	.			.		145
T64	Yani Tseng	73	72						145
T64	Minjee Lee	73	72						145
T64	Mariajo Uribe	74	71						145
T64	Gwladys Nocera	74	71						145
T64	Dewi Claire Schreefel	75	70						145
T70	Maria Fassi	74	72	.					146
T70	Beatriz Recari	73	73						146
T70	Anna Nordqvist	71	75						146
T70	Hyo-Joo Kim	70	76						146
T70	Regina Plasencia	75	71						146
T70	Eun-Hee Ji	75	71	.					146
T70	Shanshan Feng	73	73						146
T77	Mina Harigae	71	76						147
T77	Belen Mozo	72	75						147
T77	Moriya Jutanugarn	75	72						147
T77	Christina Kim	72	75						147
T77	Julieta Granada	73	74						147
T77	Catriona Matthew	74	73						147
T77	Hans Reimers	73	74	.					147
T77	Amelia Lewis	74	73						147
T77	Ji Young Oh	73	74						147
T77	Nikolette Schroeder	73	74						147
T77	Xiyu Lin	74	73						147
T77	Haru Nomura	75	72						147
T77	Laura Diaz	72	75						147
T77	Thidapa Suwannapura	72	75						147
T91	Stephanie Connelly	71	77						148
T91	Katherine Kirk	75	73	.					148
T91	Cristie Kerr	75	73						148
T91	Wei-Ling Hsu	71	77						148
T91	Alejandra Llaneza	74	74						148
T91	Gaby Lopez	72	76						148
T91	Daniela Darquea	78	70						148
T91	Tiffany Joh	72	76						148
T91	Mika Miyazato	77	71						148
T91	Suzann Pettersen	79	69						148
T91	So Young Lee	77	71	.					148
T102	Suzuka Yamaguchi	73	76						149
T102	Mallory Blackwelder	75	74						149
T102	Celine Boutier (am)	76	73						149
T102	Jodi Ewart Shadoff	75	74						149
T102	Carlota Ciganda	72	77						149
T102	Brittany Lincicome	75	74						149
T102	Dylan Kim	75	74						149
T102	Nontaya Srisawang	74	75						149
T102	Min Gyeong Youn	73	76						149
T102	Sarah Jane Smith	76	73	MC	MC	-	-	-	149
T112	Lauren Taylor	75	75	.					150
T112	Ilhee Lee	82	68						150
T112	Sandra Gal	77	73						150
T112	Breanna Elliott	73	77						150
T112	Lindsey Weaver	76	74						150
T112	Ariya Jutanugarn	79	71						150
T112	Pornanong Phatlum	77	73						150
T112	Ally McDonald	74	76						150
T120	Jessica Korda	81	70						151
T120	Sun Young Yoo	79	72						151
T120	Line Vedel	77	74						151
T120	Bertine Strauss	74	77						151
T120	Lilia Vu	77	74						151
T120	Kristen Gillman	75	76						151
T126	Holly Aitchison	75	77	.					152
T126	Jennifer Song	76	76						152
T126	Caroline Masson	75	77						152
T126	Beth Lillie	77	75						152
T126	Su-Hyun Oh	79	73						152
T126	Angella Then	76	76						152
T132	Stephanie Meadow	79	74						153
T132	Sarah Burnham	79	74						153
T132	Haley Italia	77	76						153
T132	Kylie Walker	78	75						153
T132	Christina Foster	71	82						153
T137	Yuting Shi	79	75	.					154
T137	Samantha Wagner	80	74						154
T137	Lauren Doughtie	76	78						154
T137	Georgia Hall	78	76						154
T137	Birdie Kim	74	80						154
T137	Meena Lee	77	77						154
T137	Natalie Gulbis	81	73						154
T144	Jennifer Park	81	74						155
T144	Babe Liu	77	78	.					155
T144	Brooke Pancake	76	79						155
T147	Yanhong Pan	77	79						156
T147	Ayaka Matsumori	75	81						156
T147	Heather MacRae	80	76						156
150	Caroline Hedwall	80	77						157
151	Misuzu Narita	79	79						158
152	Dori Carter	80	80						160
153	Lori Adams	84	77						161
154	Nikki Long	86	79	.

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