Canadian Open – 2nd Round

Lorena Ochoa and Yani Tseng share the lead through two rounds at the CN Canadian Women’s Open. Katherine Hull is in third place two shots behind at -8, Nicole Castrale is fourth at -7 while Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam and Se Ri Pak are tied for fifth at -6.

Tseng set a course record with her 64. Birdies at the last two holes this morning secured the mark for Yani. Ochoa offset her indifferent even par first nine with a 32 on the final nine to post 68. Hull would have matched Tseng had she not bogeyed 14 (her fifth hole) – she settled for 65. Castrale reached the 60s for the second straight day, a feat which neither Sorenstam nor Pak could duplicate (71 and 70 respectively). Good upward moves were made by Christina Kim, H.J. Choi (both 67 and -4 T7) and Jennifer Rosales (68 -4 T7). Hee-Won Han fell back into the tie for seventh with a 72 and Meena Lee stumbled to a 74, dropping her back to -2 T14.

The cut slipped back to +4, allowing 82 players to continue. Playing on by the skin of their teeth are Angela Stanford, Giulia Sergas, Louise Friberg and Hee Young Park. Candace Schepperle (76 +3) was the only amateur to make it through. The unfortunate outsiders include Karen Stupples, Kristy McPherson, Ai Miyazato and Brittany Lang (+12!). Round Three is expected to begin at noon EDT with the U.S. TV coverage on tape-delay at 9pm on Golf Channel.

Dawn Coe-Jones didn’t make the cut in her last Canadian Open, which will be the final event of her 25-year career unless she makes the Kapalua field in October. Dawn won three times in a four-year span from 1992 to 1995 and in my estimation was one of the Top 30 players of the 1990s. Six times from 1989 to 1999, Coe-Jones finished in the Top 10 at the duMaurier Classic – an outstanding record at the major championship in her homeland. I hope she makes the field in Hawaii but either way - congratulations on a long distinguished run, Dawn!