Sat Jul 5 22:45:17 2008

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Meena Lee, Ji share lead in Arkansas

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Rogers, AR (Sports Network) - Meena Lee fired a seven-under 65 Saturday to move into a share of the lead with the second round of the NW Arkansas Championship suspended due to darkness.

Lee completed 36 holes at 12-under-par 132. She was joined at minus-12 by Eun- Hee Ji, who has completed 16 holes of her second round. Ji was seven-under par to that point in her second round.

Play has been pushed back by two weather delays. There was a five-hour delay on Friday and a 98-minute stoppage on Saturday. The second round will resume Sunday morning at 7:30 a.m. (et).

After the second round is completed Sunday, the low 70 players and ties will advance to the final round.

Angela Park, the reigning Rookie of the Year, fired a course-record, 10-under 62 Saturday to fly into a share of third at 11-under-par 133. Kristy McPherson finished two rounds at minus-11 after a three-under 69 Saturday.

Seon-Hwa Lee is also minus-11. She has played 16 holes of her second round and was minus-three to that point in her round.

Meena Lee started on the back nine Saturday at Pinnacle Country Club. She birdied the 11th and 15th, both for the second day in a row, to move to seven- under.

She dropped a shot on the 16th, but got that shot right back with a six-foot birdie putt on the par-three 17th.

Around the turn, Lee drained 18-foot birdie putts on the second and fourth to get to minus-nine. She sank back-to-back six-footers for birdie from the fifth, then chipped in for birdie on No. 8 to finish at 13-under.

"Because of the rain, the course overall was a lot softer today, especially the greens were very soft, so it was easier to hit the iron shots today overall." Lee said through a translator.

Ji opened with a birdie on the first. She ran off four consecutive birdies from the fifth to climb to 10-under.

However, she tripped to a bogey at the ninth. Around the turn, Ji posted birdies on 11, 13 and 16 to grab a share of the lead before play was halted for the night.

Jeong Jang and Jee Young Lee both shot 69 to finish two rounds at nine-under- par 135. They share sixth place with Ai Miyazato, who played 16 holes of her second round.

Louise Friberg fired a six-under 66 to move to minus-eight. H.J. Choi shares ninth with Friberg, but has finished just eight holes of her second round.

Cristie Kerr and Helen Alfredsson are among a group of players at minus-seven. Newly crowned U.S. Women's Open champion Inbee Park is also seven-under par for the event. She was minus-five through 15 holes of her second round.