Hana Bank Championship - 2nd Round

Song-Hee Kim posted her second 68 of the week and carries a one-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Hana Bank Championship.  Na Yeon Choi is in second place at -7, Vicky Hurst is third at -6 and Juli Inkster is fourth at -5.

Kim jumped out to -8 in a hurry with four straight birdies from 4 through 7 but stalled out on the back nine.  Two bogeys allowed Choi to draw even but Song-Hee birdied the final hole to take the overnight lead.  NYC birdied 11 and 12 to first reach -7, bogeyed 16 for the second day in a row but rebounded with birdie at 17.  Hurst was -6 at the turn, took her only bogey at 12 but like Kim birdied the last to finish -6.  Inkster went out in 33 and reached -6 with birdies at 12 and 14 but a bogey at 15 demoted her to fourth place.

Six players are lurking at -4, four shots back but certainly within striking distance.  Among them are Inbee Park, whose 67 was the low round on Saturday thanks to a birdie-eagle finish, Suzann Pettersen, who finished birdie-birdie to set up her final-round opportunity, and KLPGA regular So Yeon Ryu, who recovered from two front-nine double bogeys to post her second 70.  Final Round Queen Jiyai Shin is only one shot farther back at -3 (she played her final eight holes today in -4) so don't count her out either.  In all, 21 players will begin play on Sunday within six shots of the lead.  Will one of the Korean superstars make it seven home wins in nine tries?  If so, will it be the maiden victory for one or the other's fourth in just over a year's time?  Will the Ageless Wonder collect that record victory that she's come so close to before?  Will the long-hitting Payne Stewart fan break into the winner's circle for the first time?  Or will it be one of a dozen that I didn't even mention in this post?