Lock at the top, Tseng cards tournament record

With a tournament-record 9-under-par 63, Yani Tseng, of Taiwan, became the fifth player to hit such a mark in the three-year history of the Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV. Tseng’s bogey-free round started off with birdies on holes one, four and eight, but she credited confidence with her new driver and hitting fairways (11/14) and greens (15/18) as key to helping her with six birdies in her closing eight holes – all except holes 14 and 15.

Tseng (71-63), the 2009 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, is in a five-way tie for the lead at the halfway mark of the event at 10-under-par 134 along with 20-time LPGA Tour winner Laura Davies (69-65), whose 7-under-mark was her season-best by three strokes. Also, Rolex Rankings’ number one Lorena Ochoa (66-68) got out early to be the first player to hit the 10-under-par mark and, also, Giulia Sergas, of Italy, found the mark with her own 7-under-par 65 (69-65) thanks to a hot putter. Holding her own among the pros is 14-year-old amateur Alexis Thompson (65-69). Thompson, who traveled to Prattville, Ala., on a whim to try to qualify for the event not only earned her way it, but is fulfilling her goal of sub-par scored each day.

LPGA players who have carded a 9-under-par 63 on The Senator Course

2007 Stacy Prammanasudh, first round
Amy Hung, fourth round
Angela Park, fourth round

2008 Maria Hjorth, third round

2009 Yani Tseng, second round

Cut made at even par

Eighty-three players made the cut at even-par 72 or better at the 2009 Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV. Leading the way are five at 10-under-134, including defending champion Lorena Ochoa – looking for her first successful title defense, since her last win this season at the Corona Championship. Ochoa (66-68) has not missed a cut in 93 consecutive events (2005 Longs Drugs Challenge). Also in the lead are 20-time LPGA Tour winner and 11-time European Solheim Cup Team member Laura Davies (69-65); two-time LPGA Tour champion and top 2008 rookie Yani Tseng (71-63), who tied the tournament-record 9-under-par 63; Italy’s Giulia Sergas (69-65), who tied her career-low 65 on Friday; and amateur Alexis Thompson (65-69), who has been near the top of the leaderboard all week and best finish on the LPGA this year was a tie for 21st as a sponsor exemption at the season’s first major championship – the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Gustafson in the hunt

The 2009 CVS/pharmacy LPGA Challenge champion Sophie Gustafson, of Sweden, is continuing her strong play through to this week’s Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV. She owns the sixth spot on the leaderboard after 36 holes and is just one-stroke back from the leaders at 9-under-par 135 (70-65). Gustafson’s win last week was her first in six years, but she had accumulated 30 top-10 finishes in the interim.

Wie two back

LPGA Tour rookie Michelle Wie is making her debut known with an 8-under-par 136 performance through 36 holes at the Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV. Wie, who has six top-10 finishes in 16 starts, is the second-ranked rookie on Tour this season and, this week, has carded rounds of 66-70 on The Senator Course. She is in a five-way tie for seventh with 2008 U.S. Women’s Open Champion and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf supporter Inbee Park (67-69); first-round leader Janice Moodie (64-72); 2009 U.S. Solheim Cup Team rookie Brittany Lang (68-68); and Hye Jung Choi (68-68), whose lone top-10 finish this season has been a tie for seventh at the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship Presented by John Q. Hammons.

Tournament tidbits

The 2009 Navistar LPGA Classic Presented by Monaco RV hosted 6,800 fans during Friday’s Passionately Pink second round. The tally is 500 more fans than attended the second round in 2008. Additionally, the tournament, players, staff and grounds (i.e. fire hydrants) were decked out in pink to raise awareness of breast cancer and the start of October as Breast Cancer Awareness month. The tournament was also matching the $1 donation from the purchase of a beverage in the Club 64 concession stand all day Friday.

On Saturday, the tournament is sponsoring Military Appreciation Day, in which all members of the military are granted free admission. All week, the tournament has offered to host owners of Monaco RVs. A lot is set up near the entrance of Capitol Hill on the RTJ Golf Trail for Monaco RVs to park for the week. Up to 40 owners accepted the invitation and are also treated to free admission throughout tournament week.