Story highlights
World No.1 Yani Tseng heads the field at the Kraft Nabisco Championship at the halfway stage
The world No.1 leads by one shot from Haeji Kang of South Korea at women's first major of the year
The 23-year-old from Taiwan will become the youngest player to win six major titles if she wins on Sunday
Taiwan’s Yani Tseng shot a second consecutive round of 68 at the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Friday to earn a one shot lead heading into the weekend of women’s first major of 2012.
The round, which included five birdies and only one bogey at the Mission Hills Country Club in California, leaves her on eight-under par and in pole position to seize the sixth major title of her career.
Should she finish top of the leaderboard on Sunday, the 23-year-old will become the youngest player in the history of the game to achieve the feat.
“I think today was much better than yesterday. This morning I felt more energy coming out today … and I just feel like today my focus was so much better than yesterday,” Tseng said, LPGA.com reported.
“I’m hitting very consistently today. I took advantage of every chance out there. Everything else was very good today, and I was very happy that I finished 4 under today,” she added, LPGA.com reported.
The world No.1, who is also chasing a third straight victory on the LPGA Tour, leads by one shot from Haeji Kang of South Korea who also shot a 68 on Friday.
Kang’s compatriot Sun Young Yoo and Australia’s Lindsay Wright are tied for third place on six-under par.
Wright, who finished fourth at this event three years ago, shot a solid round of 71 to back up her impressive opening round 67.
The 32-year-old, who has been battling depression and anxiety in recent months, has received lots of support since going public with her struggles.
On the Wright track: Golfer overcomes her battle with depression
“A couple of people who I played golf with and I know from playing golf came out and said, ‘I feel the same way and I’m struggling right now. It’s encouraging to have somebody like yourself say something,’” Wright said, LPGA.com reported.
“It’s nice to know that it’s going to help somebody else by saying how I felt and maybe come to terms with their own personal problems,” she added, LPGA.com reported.
A tightly-packed leaderboard sees 15 players within five shots of Tsang’s lead with South Korea’s Se Ri Pak and Na Yeon Choi and Karin Sjodin from Sweden tied for fifth on five-under par.
Vicky Hurst is the highest placed American challenger at the halfway stage, currently sitting in a five-way tie for eighth on four-under par.
