Davies Is Clear Leader, Good Weather or Not

Laura Davies at her rainy-day best and the Southland weather at its sorry worst.

How’s that for a nasty 1-2 punch for the field to face at the L.A. Women’s Championship on Saturday at Wood Ranch Golf Club in Simi Valley?

Davies shot a one-under-par 71 in the second round of the 54-hole tournament, increasing a one-stroke lead after the first round and inching closer to her first LPGA Tour victory in 15 months.

The 12-year tour veteran from England, who has 17 career victories, is at six-under-par 138 and leads four players by three shots.

It was a remarkably steady round for Davies, who started the day with a birdie on the par-four, 402-yard first hole and played the front nine flawlessly before the rain gave her problems over the final nine holes.

She had bogeys at the 12th and 14th, both par fours, her first of the tournament.

“This is a tough course,” Davies said. “And you throw in the wind and rain and it becomes even more difficult. . . . You just have to buckle down and try to get the ball around. You try and make birdies and get out.”

The sun broke through in the morning but gave way to rain as Davies made the turn. To make matters worse, Davies left her gloves in the trunk of her car.

“It was very windy on the front nine, so that made it tough and the back nine obviously the rain,” said Tina Barrett, who played in a threesome two holes ahead of Davies. “It was hard to keep your hands dry and warm.”

Davies didn’t wither in the rain.

She got up and down a few times on the back nine, but saved par on the par-five 15th and par-three 17th with excellent putts.

She also made a four-foot putt on No. 16 to help her stay under par for the round.

Barrett, Suzanne Strudwick, Mi Hyun Kim and Sherri Steinhauer are tied in second place at three-under 141. All shot par on Saturday.

“It was hard to keep your hands dry and warm,” Barrett said. “But I hung in there pretty well.”

Barrett, whose only tour victory came in 1989, her rookie season, plans to chase Davies hard in the final round today.

“I’ve only won one time and that was so long ago,” Barrett said.

The Korean-born Kim, in her second year on tour and among its most promising young players, braved the weather in shorts.

Kim pulled within two shots of Davies after four holes before faltering with bogeys on the 11th and 12th.

Strudwick bogeyed the same holes, missing an eight-foot putt on the 378-yard, par-four 11th and three-putting from 25 feet at the 377-yard, par-four 12th.

“The course isn’t going to get any faster,” Strudwick said. “It is playing long and the advantage goes to Laura. Unless everyone starts rolling in some putts, that’s the only way we can catch her.”

The round’s best score went to Kristal Parker, the three-time All-American at UCLA, who finished with a 67 for a two-round 142. She is in a four-way tie for sixth place.

Davies, who had laser eye surgery Thursday and turned in a first-round 67 on Friday, predicted a conservative final round if the rain persists.

“I played pretty sensibly for the last seven, eight holes,” Davies said. “If the weather stays calm, there are a few chances you can take. If not, you will have to be pretty sensible. I’ll hit a few more irons off the tee and be confident with them.”

The Leaders

36-Hole Scores--Par 72

Laura Davies 67-71--138 -6

Sherri Steinhauer 69-72--141 -3

Tina Barrett 69-72--141 -3

Suzanne Strudwick 69-72--141 -3

Mi Hyun Kim 69-72--141 -3

Kristal Parker 75-67--142 -2

Dottie Pepper 71-71--142 -2

Michele Redman 70-72--142 -2

Janice Moodie 68-74--142 -2

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COMPLETE SCORES, PAGE 12