Inkster, Ahn share lead at Canadian Open

Juli Inkster and Shi Hyun Ahn sit atop the leaderboard at the Canadian Open on eight under par after the pair recorded second-rounds of 66 and 67 respectively at the Royal Mayfair Country Club.

Starting from the back nine, Inkster bogeyed her second hole but settled down with three birdies over the next seven before the 47-year-old, who has 31 wins on the LPGA tour, wrapped up her day with three birdies on her final nine for a five-under-par effort.

“You know, I played very good yesterday and today I played good also,” Inkster said.

“I bogeyed my second hole, I think my daughter could have got it up-and-down from where I hit it, but then after that I just kind of stuck with it and made a good long birdie putt on 18 that kind of got me going for the front side. So I played well.”

The highlight of Ahn’s day was a hole-in-one on the 157-yard, par-three 16th hole as she finished the day four under par.

The Korean, who also started on the back nine, added three birdies before ending with a bogey on the eighth hole and parring the ninth as she and Inkster opened up a one stroke lead.

Commenting on the ace on the 16th, Shi said: “That’s 158 yards into the wind. I hit a six iron, high draw shot and then it went in.”

Michelle Wie missed the cut, finishing seven over par and 15 strokes behind the leading pair.

The 17-year-old has been troubled with a wrist injury of late and also missed the cut two weeks ago at the Women’s British Open.

“I missed a couple of crucial putts here and there and a couple of shots didn’t go the way I wanted to,” Wie said.

“I didn’t feel like I played this bad. It’s just frustrating to see my score was high when I don’t feel like I played that bad.”

First-round leader Laura Diaz bogeyed the last two holes for a one-under-par round of 70 and dropped into a three-way tie for third.

“I just three-putted the last two holes,” Diaz said. “One was acceptable, the three putt on 17, because I was like a million miles away.

“But the one on 18, I knew it was quick, but I hadn’t had a quick putt all day, and it went four feet by and I wasn’t planning on that. Anyway, yes, I was disappointed.”

Diaz, who had finished 12th or better in three straight tournaments to end July before missing the cut at the Women’s British Open two weeks ago, sits at seven under par along with Lorena Ochoa and Kimberly Hall.

World number one Ochoa shot a bogey-free six-under-par 65.

“I had an easy day. Sometimes you just see everything,” Ochoa said.

“I hit really good tee shots and that made things a lot easier. I had a lot of birdie chances, just close on the holes.

“It was a great day. I took advantage of it in the morning and I’m in good position for the weekend.”

The Mexican won her first major title at the British Open on August 5 and is looking to add to her tour-leading four wins and 14 top-10 finishes.

Hall carded a four-under-par 67 with six birdies.