Japan’s Mika Miyazato held on to her one-shot first-round lead after shooting a two-under 69on Saturday's second round of play in the LPGA Tour's Evian Championship in France, the tour's inaugural fifth major championship of the year.
Heading into Sunday's final round—weather issues forced LPGA officials to cut the event to a 54-hole tournament—she is the one to catch leading World’s No. 3 Suzann Pettersen and New Zealander 16-year-old phenom amateur Lydia Ko. World’s No. 2 , American Stacy Lewis is one shot further back in solo fourth place.
Miyazato second round score got her to eight-under 134 for the tournament. She recovered from bogeys at her first two holes to add birdies on the sixth, seventh, 13th and 18th.
Pettersen, who missed a short birdie putt on the final hole Friday that would have tied her for the first-round lead, kept pace with Miyazato, also shooting 69 to get to seven-under and said: "It wasn't a perfect round of golf but I managed to put a score together and give myself a chance for tomorrow.
"I made a few key pars and tried to take advantage of good playing conditions. There were a few tricky pin placements as well so it's not that easy to get a four, five under (round)."
Ko scored a flawless round of four-under 67 that featured birdies at the third, fourth, 17th and 18th. She could become the youngest ever winner of a major in men's or women's golf. She has alread won five professional titles, including her successful defense of her Canadian Open title last month.
"I definitely gave myself a lot of opportunities," she said. "Hopefully it will be a good day tomorrow. But I can't hit it as good as I did today every single day."
Lewis, who shot a four-under 67 on Saturday, made a move getting to six-under 136, just two shots behind Miyazato. A win by Lewis would give here back-to-back major championship wins this season. She won the Women's British Open; Inbee Park won the first three majors of the season.
Some of the greens were expected to be covered overnight in a bid to optimize conditions. Lewis was unhappy about going to 54 holes and thinks the cut should have been shortened, rather than the tournament.
"I think a major should be 72 holes," said Lewis. "I would have liked to have seen a cut to 50 instead of 70 and try to get 72 in. But 54 holes is a shootout, so you just have to go out there tomorrow and do the best you can."
Park's bid to become the first player ever to win four majors in the same year looks to be over after the South Korean could only add a 71 to her opening 74 to remain three-over 145.
Three players are currently T-5th at five-under 137—Se Ri Pak (71), So Yeon Ryu (66) and Chella Choi (67). Three others—Beatriz Recari (69), I.K. Kim (69) and Lindsey Wright (70)—are T-8th at four-under 138, while Paula Creamer (69), Lexi Thompson (67) and Vicky Hurst (68) are T-11th all at three-under 139.
Seven players, including Mobile Bay LPGA champion Jennifer Johnson, Angela Stanford, Karrie Webb, Michelle Wie and Sandra Gal, are T-14th at two-under 140.
Cristie Kerr, Yani Tseng, Karine Icher and Charley Hull were among the notables to miss the cut.
The first day's play was washed out and with more rain forecast, officials on Friday reduced the event to 54 holes with the leading 70 players and ties making the final round.
Heavy rains are expected for Sunday and Monday over the Lake Geneva course in south-east France, which threatens with the plan to complete the tournament as planned.